Unweave
by Naoki-the-dreamer
Summary: When Solid Snake joined the Brawl, he never expected to get a rival within fifteen seconds of arriving. Now, he's just beginning to realize how complicated, dark, fast-paced, and heartbreaking the world of Brawl really is - especially when tragedy hits.
1. Chapter 1

*** Hey guys! This is my first Brawl fanfic, I hope you don't hate it or anything... and this story centers on Solid Snake and his Brawl endeavors and dramas. ;) If you review you'll get a special prize: ... the satisfaction of knowing that you put some meaning into my day...if that means anything...:P **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

Dark.

So dark.

The thin walls of his box were closing in on him. Too close. Much, much too close. Sweating and nervous, Snake peered out a small hole in his box, gasping for air. He had gone on reconnaissance missions before, but this was ridiculous.

_Easy, Snake, _he thought to himself. _Remember. If you want to stand a chance against these guys, you gotta learn what they're capable of. Now stop breathing so loud…_

He took a deep breath and looked again through the hole at the scene in front of him.

A short, Italian-looking fellow in red was bouncing around the floating stage, and shooting fire out of his hands, strangely enough. His face was blotchy red-and-white, like a mushroom, with concentration. Sweat beaded on his brow.

_What's his name? _thought Snake, trying to remember. _Marvin. No…ah…Marley? No…think Italian…_

It came to him. He couldn't believe that he was so stupid.

_Mario! Of course. The king of Nintendo, or whatever. Ha!_

A moment later, another, taller figure came into view. It was a seventeen-year-old garbed in noble green, with feral blue eyes. A sword glinted in his hand.

Snake watched them smack each other around for a while, enjoying every moment of it. And finally. The moment of revelation. With relish, he stood up and threw his box over the side of the stage, his face stern and proud, and waited for their reaction.

They both stopped and stared at him in mid-punch. Snake stared back, unblinking, like…well…a snake.

"Well, they usually come in through the front desk," the boy commented.

Snake held his gun at the ready, in case these two misfits had any clever ideas. "The name's Solid Snake."

"Mario," said Mario is a cheerful, heavily accented plumber's voice.

"I'm Link," said the boy. They both seemed friendly enough. "You're a new Brawler, right?"

"Sure," muttered Snake.

"Great!" piped up Mario, tipping his hat clumsily. "We show Solid where to go, eh? You register yet?"

Snake, still genuinely amazed at their friendliness, could only shake his head. Link raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. And suddenly…he didn't know why…but Snake got the strong, instinctual feeling that this boy didn't like him. No, not just dislike - Link _hated _him. And they'd barely known each other for more that fifteen seconds. He stared rudely, more out of fascination than anger. Self-consciously, Link turned to a hidden trapdoor in the battlefield stage and climbed down, disappearing into the ground.

"Is Link…generally a nice guy?" asked Snake.

"Yep," said Mario. "Why-a you ask?"

"No reason," said Snake, staring down at the trapdoor. "Well…see you later, I guess, Mr. Nintendo."

"Bye…"

Snake climbed down the ladder into the trapdoor room, wanting to get as far away as possible from the short Italian guy. Immediately, he bumped his head on the low, stony ceiling.

"Damn it! Ow!"

Massaging his head, he peered at the tiny room. It appeared be a cluttered kitchen carved from stone. A smoking stove and a sink piled with plates were arrayed against one wall, with a grand pantry and refrigerator sitting opposite them. In the center of the room was a tiny wooden table, at which Link sat, destroying a cooked mushroom with his fork.

"Watch your head," Link said quietly.

"Yeah, thanks," snapped Snake.

Link made no reply, but his eyes shifted to Snake calculatingly, and then back at his plate.

"What is this place, anyway?"

Link's voice was flat. "Ask Peach."

"How the hell is a peach supposed to know?"

There was a high-pitched, flirtatious giggle from behind him. Snake spun around, hitting his head on the ceiling a second time. He began to grumble, but then he beheld Peach. A glorious, yellow-haired young woman with big, glassy eyes and a good-natured smile.

"I'm Peach, silly," she squeaked. "I kind of run this place." She winked at him and giggled again. "Like my kitchen?"

"Oh, yeah," lied Snake. "Roomy."

"It's a resting place, too," said Peach. Her voice was dreamy. "After fierce battles on the Battlefield, we like to hang out here. Eat, drink, sleep…you know. The fun stuff."

"The fun stuff," Snake agreed. "Yeah."

Peach winked at him again. "A new Brawler. How sweet. Well, I'll be outside. It's my turn to mercilessly beat up Falco." With a flutter of her eyelashes, she was gone, leaving Snake in a very uncomfortable silence. Slowly, he moved towards the table and sat down.

Link got up immediately and began to wash his plate. Snake stared at the back of his head, imagining all the brutally violent ways that he could kill him.

After a couple of minutes of imagining every murder scenario possible, Snake gave up with a sigh. With care, he began to lay out all of his gear on the table.

"The latest gear," he said loudly. He didn't know if this was true or not, but a little white lie could do no wrong. "Yeah…they're like good friends. I don't know what I'd do without them."

Link didn't answer, but Snake gathered that he was listening. He went on, even more loudly, "I don't know what others do without them. Swords, axes, bows…outdated stuff. Modern ages mean modern weapons, you know?"

"Hmm."

"Especially in Brawl."

No answer. Snake drummed his fingers on the tabletop.

"Why are you washing the dishes, elf-boy? Shouldn't you be out there fighting? Let someone else clean up."

"It's polite. Don't call me elf-boy."

Snake laughed throatily. "Don't deny it, boy! I'm not judging you. If you're an elf, I really don't care. I mean, just because I'm mainly human doesn't mean I'll look down on you."

"I'm Hylian, not an elf," said Link, rather coldly.

"Oh," said Snake, at a loss for what to say. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to piss you off or anything. I didn't know."

Link nodded curtly to show his acceptance of Snake's meager apology. A moment later, he was stalking up to the trapdoor and climbing up the ladder.

"_Elf," _muttered Snake once he was out of earshot. He sighed, getting to his feet. It was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

*** Hi all! Thank you so much for your reviews. It means a lot to me that you'd take your time to comment and critique. :D Oh, and I forgot to mention last chapter...I don't own Brawl. If I did, I'd be filthy rich, and I'd be writing this on a solid gold keyboard. But oh well...we all want things.**

An hour later, Snake was overwhelmed by all of the Brawlers. He stood in the mansion, the place where everyone hung out before and after matches. The basement itself was overwhelming. Blood-red carpet adorned the floor; deep gold couches were angled around a large, flat screen television screen. In another corner of the room was a large granite bar with customized Brawl stools and cups. Lamps and baubles dangled above Snake's head.

Brawlers. They were everywhere. He had been introduced to every single one of them, but he quickly forgot half of their names as soon as he learned them. Mario and his green friend were crawling across the floor in search of a dropped coin, two men with formidable swords were seated at the couch laughing at a TV show like best friends, and little and big creatures that he couldn't put a name to scurried all over. Link and the beautiful girl in the dress, Zelda, were sitting at the bar. Snake had no intention of crossing paths with the green-garbed swordsman again.

Ever.

He quickly sat himself down on a couch and stared blankly at the TV screen. It was a show labeled: _What the Camera Captures. _

"Helllllo, all!" the screamy-voiced announcer on the TV said. "Are you back for round twooooo? We have the hugest, most grotesquely amazing epic wins of Brawl! All caught on tape right here! Horrifyingly wonderful! Disgustingly beautiful! And of course, our favorite, terribly good! Taped by Olimar, voiced by me, Knuckle Joe. You may not know me, but that's cause I'm stuck in a freakin' assist trophy when I'm not being an announcer for this show. At least the pay is good…oh wait! I DON'T GET PAID!

"Hopefully Master Hand will ease up on the 'nobody can know about us' rule, and we'll be able to air this all over the world instead of right here in the mansion so I can get some superstardom for once…but he probably won't…and that's so cheerfully depressing that we don't want to talk about it."

The camera wiggled slightly and showed Olimar's surprised face before briefly turning around to view the Smash mansion.

"Anyway…get ready! Kick back, relax, and eat a bowl of grapes (they're healthy)."

Snake leaned forward, interested now.

"First win!" screamed the announcer. The camera zoomed in on Charizard, locked in deadly combat with a small flat creature that was shaped vaguely like a very short person. "Or should we say…fail?"

The flat thing hit Charizard out of the arena. Then, obsessively, it began to jeer and taunt. When Charizard regained his footing, his body slammed into the small thing while it was in the middle of ringing its victory bell, and blasted it out of sight.

"Oh…poor Mr. Game and Watch," Knuckle Joe was saying. "Ill-timed, old boy. Ill-timed. Next up is footage gathered of a new Brawler - a mystery, some say. This guy ran into some Primids while walking up to the Battlefield…and Olimar got it all. Good job, you little bald man…creature…thing."

The camera showed Snake beating the living daylights out of the poor, terrified Primids, who were desperately re-gathering and attempting to get him from all sides. He was too quick for them. Whoever Olimar was, he certainly managed to get a perfect, crystal-clear view of the action. The guy was born to be a cameraman.

"Ha!" Snake barked out.

The two Brawlers on the couch looked at him.

"Snake, you're on TV," one of them said. Snake thought hard, and remembered that his name was Ike. If that was the case, then the other one was probably Mike. Mike and Ike. He was so clever.

"Congrats," said Mike, his freakish angel wings twitching, like he'd had too much caffeine. "You look pretty good to me."

"_Pretty _good?" Snake scoffed. Then he stopped himself, realizing how rude he sounded. "I mean…uh…thanks, Mike."

Mike was looking at him strangely. Was his hair sticking up? To make sure, he reached up and patted his hair, but it seemed fine.

"My name's Pit," Mike said crossly.

"Oh." Was that all? Snake looked away.

"So, uh, Snake," said Ike. "Has anyone gone over the rules with you, yet?"

"No," said Snake. "There are rules? Isn't it just fighting?"

God. They both looked offended. _Can I go five seconds with pissing someone off? _he thought angrily.

"No," said Ike coolly. "There's a bit more to it than that, Snake."

"Yeah," said Pit. They sounded like twins. "For one thing, don't _ever _disobey the Master Hand."

"Yeah?" said Snake. "Why not?"

They stared at him, as if he had just said 'why not?' to the notion of dancing naked on the bar's countertop.

"He'll punish you," Pit explained, still eyeing him weirdly. "And besides, his rules make sense. One rule is that you can't kill anybody."

"Isn't that the point of the game?"

"No. The point of the game is to K.O. somebody. Killing is another matter entirely. Besides, if you kill somebody, Master Hand turns you into a trophy and keeps you in his lair."

"That's what happened to Mewtwo and Roy," said Ike in a hushed voice. "Mewtwo and Dr. Mario teamed up and killed Young Link, Roy, and Pichu. It's horrible, really. I mean, technically we're all rivals here, but we're also family."

"Family," muttered Snake. "Right."

"And," said Ike, "you have to keep in top shape. If you are not in the same shape as you were when you started, you get kicked out. That's why we work out all the time. But some people, like Wario, don't have to do anything but continue their eating habits, because they were a bit porky when they arrived and they have to stay that way."

"Strict," mumbled Snake. Being on the treadmill and lifting weights every day was _not _his idea of Brawl.

"Yeah," said Ike. "Oh…and…there's another rule. It's the hardest rule to follow, really."

"You can't have any sort of relationship with another Brawler," Pit said sadly. "It ruins the idea of being rivals. If you were dating…Peach, for example, would you be able to hit her on the field of battle? Would you be able to K.O. her?"

"Probably not," Snake admitted.

"See? Technically, like I said before, we're supposed to be enemies, but we're all friends here." Pit paused to consider this a moment, and then amended, "Most of us are friends anyway."

"Is that all?"

"Isn't it enough?" said Ike. "Doesn't it bother you? I've had my eye on Zelda for so long, but this stupid rule stops me from pouring out my heart to her."

"She is so out of your league," Snake commented. Ike scowled at him.

"Shut up, Snake," Ike growled.

Snake ducked when the red-faced swordsman swung at him with his fist. A moment later, they were both laughing like best friends. He lightly punched Ike in the shoulder, chuckling.

"You're an okay kid," he said. "You know what? If you like Zelda so much, why don't you just go and talk to her?"

Ike nervously chewed his lip. "I dunno, Snake."

"Come on. You don't have to be 'dating' her. Just talk to her. Trust me."

Snake and his newfound friend both turned to look at Zelda. She was a decent girl, to be sure - solemn and sweet and friendly, not to mention beautiful. She used her nimble fingers to fix a braid gone astray, talking quietly with Link. She smiled and began to laugh at something he had said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Snake saw something. A large, hulking man was stalking towards the bar - Ganondorf, the main antagonist from the Legend of Zelda series. A small sneer curled his lips, hate kindling in his eyes. He shoved off an unsuspecting Yoshi, who was sleeping on the countertop, and with one sweep of his powerful arm, he knocked Olimar and Wolf right off of their stools.

_Oh, no. Oh no, no, no. _Snake, dryly observing the scene, knew exactly what Ganondorf was going to do. Link was sitting closest to the wall, with Zelda on his other side, and they were both still oblivious to the oncoming danger.

Ganondorf drew back his arm, dark magic gathered around his tightly clenched fist. He was going for the kill.

At the last moment, Link suddenly saw what was going to happen. He jumped off his stool and pulled Zelda backwards. They both lost balance and collapsed on the ground, just as Ganondorf's fist plunged forward, slamming through the wall with a burst of violet fire. Right where Zelda's head had been two seconds earlier.

A deathly silence fell over the room.

Link and Zelda got to their feet. Ganondorf took a step forward.

"Hey!" said Samus loudly. "What's going on?"

Everyone gathered in a circle around the three Legend of Zelda Brawlers, watching silently. Paying no attention to anyone else, Ganondorf leaned forward and hissed at Link, "Listen, you impudent youth. Just because we're in Brawl doesn't mean that it's over between us. It will NEVER be over. And just because we're in Brawl doesn't mean I can't kill you."

Dead silence. It didn't sound like anyone was breathing.

"And when our contract is up and we're back at Hyrule, you'll be wishing you were dead," whispered Ganondorf, taking another step forward. "You will be _begging _me to kill you. And so will Miss Hyrule herself. Just wait…that's all, my darlings…enjoy each other's company while you have it."

With a savage growl, Ganondorf turned and barreled his way through the crowd, disappearing in his room.

"Damn," said Snake.

And that pretty much summed it up.


	3. Chapter 3

*** Hey! It's Naoki again. :^) Thanks for the reviews, and for sticking with the story. I'll try to update as much as possible. So far, it's been once or twice a day. As for storyline, I promise things will pick up soon. Stay awesome, and enjoy the chapter!**

The next morning, Snake woke up with a huge headache. He blinked a couple of times, rolling over, and realized suddenly that he was on a bed.

_What the he - oh yeah. Brawl._

For a moment, he was almost disappointed. Then he remembered that today was his first real day. A day to show the others how Solid Snake rolled. Snake cracked his knuckles and slid into his 'Brawling' clothes. After consideration, he clipped on his utility belt with all of his gear. He may need it, after what transpired last night - who knew what sort of murderous mood Ganondorf may be in today? Snake pictured himself fighting off the hulking, evil warrior. The rest of the Brawlers would thank him on bended knee…

Grinning, he joyfully hopped out of his room and found his way to the basement-room he had been in before, which he learned was called the lounge. But surprisingly, it was empty.

Snake frowned. Where was everyone? He cautiously made his way over to the large, jagged hole that Ganondorf's powerful fist had left in the wall and touched it lightly.

_That's one guy that I don't want to get on the wrong side of, _he thought, shuddering.

"Snake."

Ike's voice startled him out of his thoughts. Snake whipped around.

"Oh. Hey. Where is everyone?"

"Most are in the dining room," replied Ike. "But some are in their rooms. Want to grab us a couple of seats?"

"Yeah," said Snake, his stomach grumbling in complaint. He followed Ike up to a large room with an expensive-looking chandelier and several tables set out. A doorway signaled the way to the kitchen.

"Go get something to eat from Peach," said Ike. "Her food is _amazing."_

Snake decided to believe him. He bullied his way through the thick flow of people to get to the kitchen, where the heady aroma of scrambled eggs, bacon, buttered bread, biscuits-and-gravy, sausage, and countless other foods greeted him. He didn't know where to start. He got just a little bit of each and returned back to Ike.

Snake dove in. Ike watched him with an amused expression.

"'Ey," Snake began with his mouth full. He swallowed painfully and said, "Hey. I kind of went to bed early, so…did Ganondorf do anything else last night?"

"No," said Ike. "He just went back to playing cards with Bowser and Lucario."

Snake shoveled eggs into his mouth. "Sucks."

"What sucks?"

"Two things - one, that nothing else happened, and two - that some people have to have their arch enemies confined in the same place with them."

Ike shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Generally enemies just stay away from each other. That's the first time Ganondorf has ever snapped like that. I wonder what triggered it?"

"I'm on his side."

Ike stopped eating to stare at him. _"Why?"_

"Well," Snake said, "I don't know the full story so I can't say much. But I have something common with him. Link wants me dead, too."

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing! He just hates me. When we first met, I just got this weird feeling like he wanted to stab me before I had said two words to the guy."

Ike was quiet for a moment. "That's not like him." He turned suspiciously to look at Snake. "Are you sure that you didn't do something glaringly insulting…like…I don't know…call him an elf?"

_Damn. _"No. I did not call him an elf. Why would I? He's so obviously…not." Snake tried to smile, but his lips merely twitched. "Anyway…if I did…and this is totally hypothetical. But if I did happen to call him an elf, what's the big deal anyway?"

"It isn't that big of a deal," said Ike, smirking. "He wouldn't care. But it _might _explain why he doesn't like you. Are you sure you didn't say anything…?"

"Absolutely positively certain with every fiber of my being."

"You're so bad at lying, Snake."

"Whatever."

_Speak of the devil. _Link walked past Snake's table slowly, not deigning to look at him. He sat down with Samus, Zelda, and the Pokemon trainer, who was trying desperately to subdue his rampaging Charizard.

Snake's heart had stopped moments earlier. Sitting at that table and popping grapes into her mouth was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen - Samus Aran. He gazed in awe at the blonde bounty hunter. She was so perfect. Her eyes seemed hard, like pieces of flint or ice, but he could sense a great depth in them, a huge intensity. Her limber body and glowing face had a startlingly lovely, stark beauty. Snake gawked.

_Samus._

"Hey, Snake, are you going to eat that?"

"Samus."

"What?"

Snake opened his mouth, realizing what he'd said, and then shut it again, embarrassed.

"No…I'm Ike, remember?" said Ike, waving a hand in front of Snake's face. He then looked at Link's table…and back. And he smirked. "Oh, please. Not you too."

"Samus," repeated Snake, his eyes clouded over.

"Oh, God."

"_Samus."_

"You're insane. No, wait, I take it back. You are completely and utterly normal for loving _her_. Every single male creature in this mansion has been in love with Samus Aran at one time or another." He made a face. "I take that back, too. Imagine Ganondorf, or Bowser…ugh! But other than them, yes, including me. Welcome to the club, mate." He clapped Snake on the back. "You gonna eat that bacon?"

Snake mutely shook his head and shoved the bacon towards Ike, who rolled his eyes. Snake was lost in thought. He knew that Samus was a hardcore, no-nonsense kind of woman, and she was also known as the Hunter across the galaxy. He had to admit that he was slightly intimidated by even the mere thought of approaching her. It took real courage to talk to Samus - every time you tried, she would put up an icy mental barrier that repelled all of your small talk, made you feel tongue-tied, and finally sent you stumbling back to where you came from in pieces. She just wasn't a sociable person. But that didn't mean she wasn't friendly. _Or lonely, _thought Snake optimistically.

"No, Ike," he said out loud. "No…I am _not _going to eat that bacon. Because I have something else in mind - I'm going to talk to her."

Ike let out a low whistle. "Good luck, mate."

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," said Ike, surprised. "You know…just…good luck."

Perhaps he was too paranoid. Snake shook off the on-edge feeling that clung to him all day, pestering him, and searched the dining room for an opportunity to talk to Samus. He would have walked over and sat down, but it would be too awkward with the others at the table, especially a certain Hylian swordsman, listening to their conversation. Luckily for Snake, Samus rose fluidly from her table to re-fill her empty bottle. It was the best chance he was ever going to get.

"Hey, Samus, wait up!"

She turned, looking very unsurprised. He jogged up to her, smiled, and hoped that it didn't look like a grimace. Samus was stunning from afar…and astonishing up-close. Her eyes seemed to go on forever, pulling any innocent victim into the dizzying black holes that were her pupils before ripping them into pasta, and tossing them around like confetti. Then Snake realized with panic that he had no game plan. He had to say something, or she would think he was another dumbstruck idiot, unworthy of her time. So, predictably, what Snake said next was the lamest thing he could have brought up.

"So…you're getting water? Me too."

"Oh," said Samus, unsmiling. "Really? Where's your bottle?"

Snake could have very happily bashed his head against the nearest wall. A water bottle. Of course. He quickly blurted out, "I left it at the table by accident. I…uh…you're…Samus, right?"

"Yes," said Samus simply. "And you're Solid Snake, a new Brawler."

He could feel it now - the barrier that she put up between herself and people. Not a physical barrier, but a mental one. One that made you feel awkward and unwelcome. Well, it wasn't going to work on Solid Snake.

"That's me," he said. "This place is a bit too crowded for me. But I guess you get used to it. Anyway, Samus, I look forward to fighting you."

"Thanks. You too."

"I like your hair like that, by the way," Snake blurted out. He was desperate to keep the conversation going. She smiled and nodded; he felt the barrier waver. "It looks really good on you. Too bad your Power Suit covers it up."

Samus shrugged. Then she changed the subject. "Have you registered yet?"

"Not exactly," said Snake.

"Badass."

"I know."

"Well," said Samus, smiling openly now. "You seem like a good guy, Snake. Maybe we can talk later. I'll see you around."

With a little more spring in her step, she walked away. Snake grinned. The conversation had been short, and yet he had found the cracks in her shell. He mouthed 'Victory!' to Ike and drifted back to his table on a sea of triumph.

"New record!" shouted Ike, high-fiving him. "That conversation was almost a minute long. Mine was seventeen seconds."

Snake was about to reply, but a high-pitched adorable Pokemon's voice cut in hurriedly.

"Pika!"

Snake felt a tug on his leg. He looked down to see Pikachu, the yellow-furred Pokemon with the bright eyes, holding a letter in his mouth. Pikachu set the letter at Snake's feet and bounded off, ears twitching in a friendly manner.

"For me? I'm flattered."

Snake reached down and opened it up. It read:

SOLID SNAKE. AS A NEW BRAWLER, YOU ARE INVITED TO AN OFFICIAL INITIATION CEREMONY THIS AFTERNOON AT SIX O'CLOCK. THERE WILL BE FOOD AND FIRECRACKERS TO CELEBRATE YOUR JOINING.

- M.H.

"Who's M.H.?" asked Snake curiously.

Ike, who had been reading over his shoulder, said matter-of-factly, "Master Hand. Wow, Snake. You get your very own little party. Master Hand must really like you."

"Yeah," said Snake expressionlessly. "Well…I'm touched." He crumpled up the letter and threw it aside. "Good food and fireworks? Sounds like my kind of party."

"Maybe you can make up with Link, too," said Ike. "Nothing says friendship like lighting a dangerous explosive side by side and then running like hell."

Snake looked back over at the table which Link and Samus sat at.

"I don't want to make up with him," he said. "He'll probably just laugh at me anyway if I tried."

He looked down at his plate and murmured softly to himself, "I know from experience that it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for."


	4. Chapter 4

That evening, all of the Brawlers, every single one of them, gathered outside for Snake's initiation party. Twenty to thirty boxes of fast, loud, and bright fireworks sat stacked up against the side of the house. The red boxes were for smaller things, like pop-it's and confetti guns and parachutes, and the black boxes were for the bigger fireworks, the things that Snake generally liked to call 'boom-booms.' Ike and Snake sat in plastic lawn chairs, watching Kirby, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff light parachutes and then chase after them, screaming.

"He ate the fuse, too, Snake! While it was _on fire_!" Ike ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. He was good guy. He had been Snake's backbone, his supporter, throughout this entire ordeal. Snake really liked Ike.

"I saw," said Snake, amused. "That little pink marshmallow has quite a stomach."

A small wind stirred up in the air, making the large canopy over their heads tremble and shiver. Master Hand had provided all of the supplies - chairs, the canopy, the dessert table and tablecloth, the fireworks…which was pretty nice of him, considering he had never even met the guy he was doing it for. Peach insisted on preparing all of the delicious cakes, pies, and ice cream variations.

But as nice as this was, Snake was actually a little nervous. A small stage, a podium, and an array of chairs were all sitting out on the grassy lawn, waiting for him. Balloons waved weakly in the breeze. Soon, his ceremony would have to happen. And he would have to make an unrehearsed speech, in front of everyone.

"It won't be that bad," Ike assured him when he voiced his worries. "Basically, you make stuff up and hope that it sounds meaningful. Seriously, there's nothing to be worried about."

"Did you have to make one?"

"Yes," said his friend, looking sheepish. "I babbled on for five minutes about how honored I was, and then Donkey Kong dragged me off the stage."

This was not very reassuring to Snake.

He wished that he was Pikachu. Pikachu couldn't say anything but his own name, so all he would have to do was stand up on the podium and say 'Pikachu' for a couple of minutes. The others would clap and pretend that they'd understood a single word of it.

Gloomily, Snake noted that the majority of the Brawlers were beginning to move, a single entity, to the chairs. They all looked excited, with the exceptions of those who were antagonists to other series. Sweat beaded on his neck.

With a rush of whistling air, a large, gloved, disembodied hand floated across the lawn and hovered at the podium. This had to be Master Hand. Snake gaped, amazed. He expected a middle-aged man wearing a cloak and a mask, not an actual flying hand. But here in the Brawl world, anything was possible. He had already seen pink puffballs, Hylians, Pokemon, and male dinosaurs who laid eggs. Floating hands…why not? He almost grinned at the absurdity of it all, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be nervous.

{Greetings.}

Snake was hit by a second wave of shock as he heard the Hand speak. It wasn't so much speaking as it was telepathically communicating. The voice skittered through his mind, splintering, swelteringly hot and yet cuttingly cold at the same time. Master Hand waited for all of the Brawlers to sit down, and then, somehow, he spoke again.

{I am glad everyone showed. Especially Snake.}

A few giggled. Snake stood in the back, behind the last row of chairs, uncertain of what to do. Should he join the giant Hand at the podium? Should he find a seat? Should he stay put?

{Solid Snake,} said Master Hand. {Please join me.}

Snake forced himself to put one rubbery leg in front of another. He felt like he was sliding backwards on a conveyor belt; it took forever to reach the stage.

{Everyone,} said the Hand, {welcome Snake to the Brawl. He is a good, strong fighter. Normally, I would challenge him to a fight to test his limits, but the Primids he fought off upon arrival have already proved his strength, so there is no need. I am confident about this one.}

Snake looked out at the shimmering sea of people. The kid with the cat eyes, the big walking eyeball, Ike, and dear Samus were just a few among many that were staring with warm acceptance in their eyes. He took a deep breath, suddenly very dizzy.

{Snake,} said Master Hand, and his voice was unusually gentle. {Brawl is hard.}

Snake blinked.

{Brawl is pain. It is hard work. You will be hurting, and in more ways than one.} Master Hand's fingers flexed, as if he, too, was hurting. Then he relaxed. {It is the utmost honor to be selected, and honor comes with a heavy price. But for some, this price has been too heavy to pay.}

Everyone was silent, remembering those that were no longer among them.

{You are strong, Snake,} said Master Hand. {You will be able to bear the burden. Do not take Brawl lightly, or it will crush you. Remember that. And also know that through all of these dark words I have said, I have neglected to tell you that Brawl is also a very rewarding experience. But you will have to figure that out on your own.} He paused. {I have a good feeling about you. Is there anything you would like to say to your audience?}

"Yes," said Snake, his head spinning from all of the information. Feeling weak and like Jell-O, he tottered up to the microphone and croaked, "Hi."

He looked through the crowd. Link was sitting in the second row, paying attention like everyone else. His blue eyes glinted. Snake nervously looked for another face, and found Ike and Samus sitting next to each other. They smiled and waved at him. He drew strength and courage from that and went on.

"A while ago," he said, and his words echoed back hauntingly across the yard. "I was young. A couple of days ago, in fact. I was so young that I thought Brawl would be a fun little game to play in my downtime." He laughed and shook his head. "I know some of you don't think so, but I've grown up since then. And here I am, a Brawler just like you, and I'm older and wiser. I know the truth…Brawl is pain, like my good pal M.H. has already said. But every time it gets hard, it does something amazing."

He looked back at Samus and smiled.

"There's a saying that goes, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.' And it's true. I think it applies to Brawl especially. And I plan to get real strong, real quick. Long live Brawl. Thank you."

Master Hand held out the tip of his forefinger. Snake gripped it with both hands and shook it vigorously. It was the strangest handshake he had ever had. Cheers exploded up from the crowd, tearing through his ears until he thought they might bleed. Someone shoved a contract and a pen into his hand. He skimmed it and signed it; Master Hand touched the top of his head, and a warm, electrifying feeling zinged through his body. He was officially part of the Brawl. He was one of them now. Snake's grin grew wider, if that was even possible, and all the while cheering and screaming singed the air.

Master Hand drifted off over the rooftop. Through the midst of Brawlers getting up to go get cake and beverages before Kirby could inhale everything, Snake ran down the isle and threw himself at Ike, both of them screaming like maniacs. Ike clapped him heartily on the back. Samus gave him a warm hug.

"That was great!" Ike shouted. "A million times better than mine!"

"Aw, you made him blush," said Samus.

Snake scowled in mock anger at her. "I don't blush."

"SURE you don't."

"Come on," said Ike pressingly. "Let's go watch Meta Knight light some mortars, Almighty Brawler."

They bid goodbye to Samus and settled back down in their plastic chairs. Snake happened to look over, and saw Samus reaching for a chocolate-covered strawberry. His train of thought crashed into a wall.

"Snake, Snake, Snake," sighed Ike. "Look…I can tell you don't want to watch with me…due to a certain distraction in the form of a blonde bounty hunter. Just go and talk to her."

"Hey!" said Snake. "That was my advice for you. You can't use my own advice against me."

"Well, I just did."

Snake grumbled. He knew that his friend was right. Reluctantly, he got up and muttered, "It's show time."

He tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around warily, freezing him in his tracks with those deep, deep eyes.

"H-H-H-H," he sputtered, unable to get a coherent word out.

"Hi, Snake," she said, smiling. "Your speech was amazing. I like the whole party, too. I think it's the best one out of all of them."

"Do you?" Snake asked lamely. "Great. Have you…um…have you lit off a firecracker yet?"

"No," said Samus. "Actually, I'm kind of cold. I'm going inside for a while…but maybe when it gets dark I'll help you light off the really big ones." She flashed her smile at him again, making his heart thud unevenly. Then she turned around and walked inside.

Snake returned to Ike, shamefaced.

"So…?" Ike pressed him.

"It was terrible. I scared her off. She had to make up a lame lie about being cold and went inside."

"Maybe she wasn't lying. I'm kind of chilly myself."

"Oh, please." Snake snorted. Then he brightened a little. "She did promise me that she would help light off the big ones when it gets dark."

"Sounds like a hot date to me."

Nearly an hour later, it was finally beginning to get dark. Ivysaur was in the process of lighting off the first 'boom-boom'. Meta Knight claimed to be next, carrying an entire box of mortars.

"I'm going to go get Samus," Snake announced. Overhead, there was a huge bang and rainbow sparks cascaded from the sky. A collective 'ooh' rose from the audience. It truly was beginning to get cold, but the Brawlers stayed outside to watch the show. With one glaring exception.

Snake bid goodbye to Ike and made his way inside, rehearsing in his mind what he was going to say.

Keep it simple, Snake.

_'Hi Samus. Do you want to light off fireworks now?'_

Yeah. That would work. Snake smiled. He headed to Samus's room. To his surprise, it was empty, but then he remembered the small, cozy room in a distant corner of the mansion. The one with the fireplace and the blankets. If Samus was cold, she would be there.

As he walked, visions grew in his mind, of Samus confessing her love for him, and then their happy engagement and marriage. Everyone would come to the wedding and be happy for them. And then, they would kick butt all across the galaxy. Samus Aran and Solid Snake - an epic combination that would send the bad guys running for their pathetic lives.

However, what he next saw would send those dreams crashing right to the ground.

Snake stood in the open doorway of the small cozy, room. Samus was there, but she wasn't alone. Link was with her on the couch. And he was kissing her.


	5. Chapter 5

A great, fiery rage swelled up in Snake's chest. He thought his head might explode from the pressure. He could hear blood pounding in his ears.

The two of them broke apart. Samus laid her head on Link's shoulder; he stroked her hair. She whispered, "I love you…"

He answered quietly, "Love you too."

They were silent for a time, just resting there, looking into the fire. And meanwhile, a deafening roar was building up in Snake's ears. He couldn't think. He had to leave before they noticed him.

But he couldn't make his damn legs work.

"You know," Samus said, "this is so difficult. It's worth it and everything, but it's just hard."

"Keeping it a secret?"

"Yes, exactly. Master Hand would kill us if he found out we were together. Or something. So that's why we have to fight as hard as we can on the field of battle. No holding back…I mean it."

Link smiled, his eyes very soft.

"Nobody else can know, either," said Samus, but it came out more of a dreamy sigh, because she was half-asleep.

"Except Snake, of course."

Samus sounded confused. "What? Why him?"

Link's answer was very calm and composed. "Because he's standing in the doorway, listening to every word we say."

Snake's blood went cold, and he ran. He ran as fast as he could and didn't stop, or couldn't if he wanted to, because if he stopped, he would start to think. And that would destroy him.

He burst out the front door of the mansion, barreling over an unsuspecting Sonic in his way. Chest heaving, he ran to the side of the mansion and leaned against the wall. The thoughts began to come with battering force, disconnected, floating through his mind like ticks. Reeling, he grabbed a bunch of bottle rockets and lit them off into the sky. They curled in strange patterns and disappeared over the roof, smearing his emotions against the darkening blue.

_Samus and Link, _he thought, replaying the scene in his head. His heart was sinking like a stone in his chest. _What the _hell _just happened?_

And here he was, thinking that Samus liked him. He had never been so dead wrong in his life. Snake rested his forehead against the wall, trying to dissect all of the thoughts that were racing through his mind. He had always thought that Link liked Zelda, but now that he really thought about it, Link and Zelda had a very strange relationship. They both shared a lost power, which made their friendship a little deeper. In turn, that made many Brawlers assume that they were in love. And all the while, he and Samus were really the ones going out.

It was all so messed up.

But one thing was for certain. Snake didn't have a chance with Samus now. Not even the slimmest, faintest hope.

"Snake?" called a familiar voice. Snake didn't have to turn around to know that it was Ike. There couldn't be a time where he wanted to talk to him _less. _Panicking, he pivoted on the spot and took off, determined to get away for a while. He felt strangely numb and unfeeling, but he didn't care. Nothing really mattered anymore.

Beyond the lawn, training facilities, the home-run stadium, target test arenas, and prototype stages peppered the landscape. Beyond that was pure, preserved forest. And beyond that? Nobody bothered to find out. The small Smash universe could be endless for all Snake knew, or cared. He veered around the nearest facility, an accuracy training stadium designed for Brawlers with projectile attacks, and continued on his aimless way, smashing flowers into pulp under his feet.

The buildings were behind him - all of them. All that was left was the large, unending forest, riddled with staring eyes and yet devoid of life. Determinedly, Snake marched into it, his teeth slightly bared as he tried to avoid the cutting tangle of branches. Leaves crunched. A bird, or maybe even a Pokemon, whistled a cheerful tune that opposed his dark, stormy mood.

A flash of movement caught his eye.

Snake whipped around, eyeing the place nervously. _This was a dumb idea, _he thought. _I better head back…apologize for ditching…_

_Don't be silly, Snake, _he reprimanded himself. _You've got weapons. Plus, you're allowed to ditch your own party. The others just have to deal with it._

He relaxed, falling into the rhythm of the cool, damp wildlife. He had barely taken three steps before he saw it again - the quick flash of movement. Snake growled.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "Show yourself!"

His instincts were pricking at him. This was no animal, playing hide-and-seek in the bushes. Nor was it a Pokemon. As it to prove his point, a small red orb appeared in the shadows, swaying back and forth hypnotically. Snake's eyes widened. It looked vaguely like a sniper laser, but solid and solitary. It was glowing.

"Hello?" said Snake, taking a step backward.

The orb wiggled and bobbed, almost as if it were alive. It flashed back into the bushes and disappeared from sight. The sound of feet slapping the ground echoed through the forest.

"Oh, no you don't!" snarled Snake, sprinting in that direction after the strange intruder. He shoved past the bushes, taking long strides. He was bound to overcome the creature soon; by the sound of its footsteps, it had ridiculously tiny legs.

Any moment now -

He burst through the thickets, stumbling in a large clearing - and skidded to a stop.

It had to be the most beautiful clearing he had ever seen. Buttery sunshine arced and weaved over the long, mist-beaded variety of grasses, and shining through the thin ivory branches of a weeping willow tree. A pond, lined by reeds, sat undisturbed in the center of the clearing, iridescent and rainbow-like stones sitting pleasantly at its bottom. It was the kind of place where you might find separate worlds interweaving, reality and imagination, until you can hardly tell which is which. The orb was nowhere in sight.

It held no beauty for Snake. He glanced down, frustrated that his quarry had escaped, of all things. A flower was waving gently in the breeze. Suddenly, Snake could not stop himself. He lost all restraint - he pounded on it with his foot, grinding it into the dust, a roar building up in his head until he thought his skull would explode from the pressure. He was so focused on destroying this little flower, on seeing its petals get pummeled into soft earth and its stem snapped by his boots, that he didn't even hear the tiny, soft screams, begging him to stop.

Finally, Snake seized what was left of the flower and yanked it from the ground. Then he realized his mistake. It was not a flower, as he had assumed. It was the stalk of a Pikmin's head. He held the limp body of the red Pikmin, and saw that he had snapped its tiny neck.

He stood there for a long time, holding that fragile little creature. It was not breathing.

_I killed it, _he thought.

A sharp pain interrupted his thoughts. Something was jabbing at his leg. With a small yelp, he twisted aside to see an angry blue Pikmin, stabbing his calf repeatedly with a sharp stick.

"Ow! Stop it!"

Snake reached down and swatted it. The Pikmin recoiled, but soon it was tearing into his skin again, making high-pitched war cries.

"_Go away!"_

Snake hit it with the flat of his palm. The Pikmin went soaring and landed a fair ways away. Trembling with fear and exhaustion, it shuddered to its feet and looked at its dead companion with big, sorrowful eyes.

Snake felt terrible. He turned his back on the tiny thing, preparing to head back to Smash Mansion. Then he realized that there was a Brawler standing calmly by the waterside.

It was Olimar, the cheerful, curious spaceman from another planet. The master of Pikmin.

"Oh my God," muttered Snake. He held out the dead body of the red Pikmin. "I - I'm so sorry -"

Olimar said nothing. He just looked.

"I was mad," stumbled Snake. "So I started to stomp on this flower, and I didn't realize it was a Pikmin. I'm sorry."

He offered its body. Olimar took it gently, cradling it in the crook of his elbow, and something like grief passed across his face. He looked back up, and Snake could see a reflection of himself the space helmet - a lost man, with uncertainty written all over him, shiny gaunt cheekbones, sunken and miserable.

"I'm sorry," said Snake again, wondering if Olimar had not heard him.

"It's not my forgiveness you need," said Olimar in a strangely hypnotic, lilting voice. "It's hers." He indicated the red Pikmin.

Snake didn't know what to say to that. "Sorry," he finally said to the Pikmin's body.

"I don't understand you, Snake," said Olimar. "You're angry, but if you're not angry at _her, _then why did you attack her?"

"I - I don't know," mumbled Snake. He sat down at the water's edge, feeling thoroughly depressed, and in more ways than one.

"Displacement of your anger onto innocent creatures isn't a good thing," said Olimar solemnly. "What's bothering you so badly that you felt the need to be destructive?"

"Everything," said Snake, and turned away.


	6. Chapter 6

*** Hi! Sorry that's it been a while, I've been tied up with schoolwork. -.- This chapter's a little short, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Keep reading and stay amazing! ;^)**

The sun's cheery light seemed to wane, and dusky shadows yawned into existence, draping themselves over the forest with care. As it grew darker, it grew colder. Snake could practically see his own breath, rising in white orbs before his eyes. He shivered, but continued walking.

Olimar waddled in front of him, leading the way, the body of red Pikmin cupped in his hands, almost like it was a tiny child in a cradle. He had told Snake to follow and simply walked off. And since Snake felt completely responsible for murdering the Pikmin, and felt that he owed Olimar a favor or two, he had followed. He didn't have the slightest idea of where they were going, or what they were doing, but Olimar walked with a purpose.

"Here," the eccentric spaceman said finally, stopping at what seemed to be a completely random patch of forest.

"Where?" asked Snake. It looked the same as every other area in the forest.

"A resting place," said Olimar. His voice grew hard and commanding. "Dig a hole."

Snake looked at him, nonplussed.

"For _her_," Olimar said impatiently.

Slowly, uncertainly, Snake bent down. The cold wind slithered over his skin; the hair rose on his arms. He used his calloused fingers to sink deep into the damp, rich soil and tossed a handful over his shoulder. He did this several more times until Olimar said, "Stop."

Snake carefully wiped his fingers on his thighs and rose up, knowing fully well what was coming next. Olimar nodded gravely. Snake took the proffered Pikmin and carefully, oh-so-carefully, placed the body into the hole he had created. With a smooth swipe of his palm, he covered the body back up and patted the smooth mound he had created.

Olimar muttered a quick prayer. Then, like a veil had been lifted from him, he smiled.

"She is peaceful," he said in that strange voice of his. "Thank you."

"I don't get it," said Snake, suddenly frustrated. "These little things die _every day _in battle and you ignore them! They turn to ghosts all around you and you don't even care! What makes this one special?"

Olimar was quiet for a long time. Snake was afraid that he had made him angry, that he had crossed the line. But when Olimar spoke again, it was quiet and melodious.

"Good question," the little spaceman mused. He wasn't angry in the least, that much was clear. "Well, Snake, it appears I have to teach you some things."

"What things?"

"Listen," said Olimar quietly. "Sometimes…we have these certain…_objectives. _And we focus on nothing else but reaching our goals. It's like a one-way flight, you can't go back, and you're only focused on your destination."

"What are you, a psychiatrist?" Snake asked sarcastically, but Olimar ignored him.

"When you get mad, Snake, you don't care about anything else - I've noticed that about you. Your anger overrides your good judgment. It's like that one-way flight. You do things you regret, and you are only focused on one thing - the cause of your anger."

Snake was confused. "What does this have to do with my question?"

"Bear with me," said Olimar with a trace of irritation. "I'm trying to say that your anger and all of our bloodlusts in battle are kind of like the same thing. I am so focused on getting a good score that I don't think about the Pikmin, and they turn into spirits all around me. I barely notice."

Olimar heaved a deep sigh. "Afterwards, I grieve for them. That's why I want to do this one right - I want to make up for my carelessness and my indifference in battle." He looked Snake directly in the eye. "You and I - we're alike, Snake. We're one-way flights."

"You said before that when I get mad, I don't care about anything else," said Snake, rather accusingly. "That's not true."

"It's truer than you can imagine," said Olimar. "Snake, when you get mad, all of your goals in life narrow down to one - to get rid of the source of your anger. I doubt you would care about who you hurt or what you did, as long as whoever made you mad paid the price."

"No," said Snake, thinking about Link and feeling his heart speed up.

"Don't let your anger take over," pleaded Olimar. "Don't do anything stupid. Don't hurt anyone, Snake. I don't know what happened, and honestly I don't want to. But please don't do anything you'll regret."

"I'm _not," _said Snake defensively. "Just…just leave me alone. I need to think."

Olimar gazed at him silently. He didn't move.

Huffing, Snake turned on his heels and stalked angrily into the deep regions of the forest. Dark was falling quickly. His breath puffed around him in small white clouds. Shuddering with cold, Snake sat upon a log and sat there for a long time, blankly staring at a slug climbing up a tree.

_I doubt you would care about who you hurt or what you did, as long as whoever made you mad paid the price._

Well, that was kind of true, wasn't it? He often rushed into things without thinking in his anger. But he never remembered hurting anyone that he didn't want to. His revenge was always precise and direct.

_Stupid spaceman, _he thought dismissively. _Doesn't know what he's talking about._

He shivered again. It really was cold. It was so cold that he could see the breath of the forest animals and Pokemon, shimmering around him. It smelled a little like smoke…

Snake jumped to his feet wildly.

It _was _smoke.

Wildfire? He looked around, but he couldn't see the source. He had to get the hell out of there. He broke into a straight sprint, but he couldn't see where he was going. Tree limbs snapped in his face…twigs crunched underfoot…creatures screeched in complaint as he disrupted their homes…

Finally, finally, Snake had wrestled his way out of the wretched forest. He skidded to a stop and gazed in awe at the drifting billows of smoke, rising in black columns from the horizon.

The mansion was on fire.


	7. Chapter 7

***Another chapter? So SOON? *gasps* Yep. I already had this chapter typed up and raring to be posted, and I also had a bit of rare free time. So here you go! Two chapters in one day! This could possibly be my favorite chapter yet, although it's not quite as long as I want it to be.**

**Thanks for sticking with the story. Means a lot *sniffle*.**

*** * * * * * * Enjoy! * * * ***

Snake broke into a straight sprint, heading for the flaming mansion. The world was silent, save for the voice in his head, intoning again and again: _She's in there. She's in the mansion. _

Smoke inhalation can kill you.

Within ten minutes.

Snake shook his head to clear it, but the negative thoughts wouldn't go away. At last, he stumbled onto the lawn of the mansion - and wished that he hadn't.

The enraged yells of Master Hand echoed through the air, mingling with the screams of the Brawlers as fireworks began to set off, ignited by the spreading flames. Snake raced to the front of house, crashing into Sonic a second time. Master Hand was pouring water onto the house, assisted by Squirtle and Kirby, who had copied the water Pokemon's abilities.

Snake was riveted with his own horror. Suddenly, an idea came to him. _That room was two doors down from the back door. Maybe she got out._

All hell was breaking loose. Fireworks were soaring and arcing over his head with earsplitting explosions, Brawlers were screaming and running in every direction, and the excessive smoke from the fire was making him extremely dizzy. Still, he ran towards the back of house, stumbling through the gate and staggering into the yard. The small, jutting room that Samus and Link had been in was lividly ablaze with angry flames. Part of it had crumbled away.

There were no signs of life. Cold sweat broke out on Snake's body. He moaned, "No…"

Two figures abruptly stumbled out of the wreckage, flopping lifelessly to the ground. Relief washed over him. He hurried forward, tripping twice over his own feet.

"Samus! Link! Are you guys okay? Seriously, you had me really worried…"

Panting, he finally reached them. They lay collapsed on top of each other, sooty and charred and burned terribly. Link was draped over Samus, motionless but breathing shallowly. Snake carefully moved him off of the bounty hunter. Samus was just as burnt and beat-up as he looked, only…only…Snake peered closer. Her horrible, blank, clouded-over eyes, her slightly dropped jaw, her still chest…all these things hit him with crippling force. She smelled of death.

Samus Aran. Beautiful, enchanting Samus Aran.

Dead.

Link's hand twitched. He lifted his head and opened his eyes, weak as a newborn puppy. If he wanted to, Snake could have killed him any way he liked, and with ease.

He wanted to.

"S-Snake…" Link said in a cracked whisper. "Snake…please…help…" No sooner had the words come out of his mouth that he was unconscious again.

"Go to hell," said Solid Snake, cradling the body of Samus, and as he stood up, the wind kicked up, blowing hot ashes into his eyes and blinding him.

The world looked better that way.

Time lulled, dragged, looped. Scalding smoke mingling with freezing wind played chaotically against his face, teasing his hair. He wanted to stay there forever, hugging Samus tight to his chest, and never let her go, just hold her until the seams of time frayed and burst apart, and the sky turned red in its bloody end. He knelt, gently setting her down on the grass. His hands were shaking hard. He pressed his fist to his lips, hot tears stinging his eyes.

"What happened?"

The splintering voice of Master Hand came from above. A giant, gloved, disembodied hand descended from the sky and hovered before Snake. Normally, he would have made an inner sarcastic remark about the size of the hand, but his brain didn't seem to be functioning right.

"The fire," croaked Snake. "The fire…look what it did to her…"

Master Hand paused and gently laid one giant finger on Samus's stony chest. He drew back and then turned to Link.

"Is he alive?"

"Who cares," muttered Snake. Then he said, a little louder, "The last time I checked, yeah."

Master Hand held his finger a hairbreadth away from Samus's mouth.

"Samus is not yet dead, Solid Snake. She would be turning into a trophy if she was."

His heart leaped.

"She is in critical condition, though. Do not get your hopes up."

Master Hand directed his fingers at the burning room. Water sprayed from his fingertips, quenching the fire.

"Please find someone to carry them to the medical wing. I have others to attend to. Hurry, Solid Snake."

And with that, he floated away. Snake, heart hammering, ran around to the side of the mansion, screaming, "Somebody! Help!"

"SNAKE!"

Ike came sprinting towards him, looking shaken but otherwise unscathed.

"Snake, where the hell have you been?" he demanded. "We all thought you were d -"

"Samus," gasped Snake, shoulders shaking with relief. "Samus…was…with Link…in a room…they're both…unconscious…Samus is almost….dead."

"_What?"_

"You've got to help me carry them up. Get some others….quick…"

Ike looked taken aback. He nodded once, determinedly, and disappeared. Snake returned back to Samus, just to cradle her again and feel her heartbeat for himself. He relaxed when he found her faintly thumping heart. She was breathing, he saw, but weakly and unnoticeably. The wind blew her savagely blonde hair around her face. Beautiful, even on the brink of death.

Ike returned with reinforcements. Donkey Kong gaped openly at the scene. Ike ran his hand through his hair, dumbfounded.

"Hurry it up," snarled Snake. "She could be dying here."

Stunned into action, they moved forward like sleepwalkers encountering a nightmare. Donkey Kong very gently took Samus, his muscles bulging, and effortlessly carried her out of the backyard. Snake spat at the ground. Then he motioned for Ike to leave and moved towards the gate himself.

"Wait!" Ike insisted, grabbing his arm. "You're forgetting Link."

"No, I'm not," said Snake, very slowly and deliberately. Ike flinched back as if he had hit him.

"You can't leave him here to suffer, Snake."

"He would do the same to me."

Ike's eyes were cold and flinty. "No, he wouldn't. You don't know him. He's noble, Snake; he'd sacrifice himself for you - for any of us."

"Especially for Samus," hissed Snake.

Ike blinked. "What?"

"He _kissed _her, Ike. They're in love!" As he spoke, Snake kicked a rock and sent it flying.

"Oh." Ike's voice was cool. "I get it. This is a jealousy thing."

"I - AM - NOT - JEALOUS!" shouted Snake, kicking up a torrent of dirt. His hands were clenched so tightly at his sides that they were pale, and his fingernails bit painfully into his palms.

"Then help him."

"You do it, if you think he's so noble."

"I'm telling you, Snake. He doesn't deserve this. Think of someone else for a change. Help him."

This world was full of traitors. Snarling, Snake stalked forward seized Link's arms. To his astonishment, Link opened his blue eyes wide. They were misty, unseeing. He said in a cracked whisper, "Please."

"Shut up, I'm helping you now," growled Snake, spinning him around. Link exhaled softly and closed his eyes, drifting back into unconsciousness.

Ike grabbed Link's feet, and together, they hoisted him to the front of the house, where Master Hand had arranged a small medical area. Link and Samus were the only ones close to death, but Captain Falcon had some bad burns on his stomach, and Diddy Kong was in shock. They laid Link down on a soft cot. Luigi dabbed hot, seeping liquid on his cuts and burns and bandaged them up securely. Nearby, Samus was almost entirely covered in white bandages. She moaned.

Snake tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

"Can you heal her?" he asked Peach, who was attending to her.

"I'll try," was the answer. "Please step back. I can't work with you breathing down my neck."

Snake grudgingly went to stand by the house. The fire was out now, due to the hard work of Kirby, Squirtle and Master Hand, but it would take months to completely rebuild. Luckily, most of the mansion was alright - it was only the far right of it that was ablaze. Rumors went around about the starting - a stray firework (which looked bad for Meta Knight and Ivysaur, who were lighting fireworks at the time of the blaze), a stove or grill left on (which looked bad for Peach, who was always cooking), a knocked-over candle (which looked bad for Pikachu, who was clearly seen darting around the shelves that the candles were sitting on), or a left-on fireplace (which looked bad for Samus and Link, who were in a room containing a fireplace when the fire started.)

But Ness claimed to have blown out all of the candles before going outside, in fear of something like this happening, and Squirtle, Charizard, and Red defended Ivysaur, saying that they clearly watched over the process and saw no stray fireworks go into the house. Snake chipped in that the fireplace wasn't on when he accidentally walked in on Samus and Link, and the fire occurred only minutes later. The grill and stove were checked by the Ice Climbers; they hadn't been used for hours and hours.

So who, or what, was to blame for the disaster?

Even after an hour of talking outside, they still hadn't come up with an answer. Meanwhile, Samus's condition was getting worse while Link's was getting better. Master Hand declared that the house was safe to go into, but the burnt and unstable areas were roped off. Samus and Link were moved into the left medical wing. The Brawlers filed quickly into the wing to watch over them, buzzing.

"If we just knew where the fire originated, we could figure it out," Ike was complaining in Snake's ear. "Do you have any ideas?"

"No," said Snake, annoyed. "Who cares, anyway? A fire is a fire. It's over now."

"_Some_body has to take the blame! I mean, whoever started it, even by accident, is responsible for almost killing Link and Samus. And even Captain Falcon!"

"Can we drop it for now? I think Link's waking up."

A hushed murmur went around as Link blearily opened his eyes and stretched. He looked terrible. Burns and cuts covered his face and arms. His tunic was ripped, exposing his muscled chest. He blinked a couple of times before recognizing them.

"Link!" Zelda threw her arms around him. He winced. "Oh…" she said, backing away. "…Sorry."

Link smiled weakly. "That's alright. Where's…Snake?"

"Right here," said Snake, miffed, stepping forward. What did he want? To tell him off in front of everybody for eavesdropping?

"Thanks…" muttered Link. "Thank you for helping us. I know…we don't see eye…to eye. But you still did it….anyway."

"Um, you're welcome," said Snake, embarrassed. He stepped back into the crowd, aware that everybody was watching him. Well, hell. He felt like a hero.

"Do you remember anything about the fire?" asked King Dedede.

Link closed his eyes tight. "I'm sorry, no."

"Can you try? Please, try," begged Zelda.

Link shook his head, eyes still closed. It looked painful. "All I remember is stars exploding, and then there was a lot of smoke and fire. I don't remember anything after that except being carried off. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It isn't your fault."

Snake left. He decided that he was going to get to the bottom of this fire. Whoever started it was going to be revealed. He was going to investigate.

But it as it turned out, he didn't have to.


	8. Chapter 8

"Snake, can I talk to you a moment?"

It was three days later. Ike had been unusually grave and quiet during breakfast. Then again, everyone was.

"Sure," said Snake. "What's up, kid?"

"You're not going to like it," warned Ike.

Snake rolled his eyes. "I think I can take it. Shoot."

"A rumor was going around about the fire. Six different Brawlers say that they have direct evidence that Link purposefully started the fire."

Snake's blood went cold, and then flaming hot. He spat out this marmalade all over the table. Coughing, he shouted, _"Link _did it?"

Ike nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Plus, there's places in the room they were in that have cuts from his sword and burns from her laser, like they started to fight. Pit says that he saw Link light the fire and then lock Samus in the room. I guess his plan to kill her backfired."

"You're trusting that little kid?"

"Snake." Ike's voice was a forced, scary calm. "Six Brawlers. Six. Same story. There's a little window in that room. They were playing around in the backyard when they saw it happen through the window. Unfortunately, the window was too small for Samus to climb through."

Snake couldn't breathe. Link had tried to kill Samus? Anger boiled through his veins. It was so unbelievable at the same time. Not because he didn't Link wasn't able to do such a thing, but because he could not believe that Link would try to kill the love of his life. And yet…a small part of him yearned to embrace this dark new truth.

"I'm going to kill him," he said softly, dead serious. "I am going. To kill. Him."

"So is everyone else," said Ike. "But I don't get it…he had such a good heart. He was honest and friendly. Everyone liked him. How could he have done something so…so…"

"Horrifying? Atrocious? Murder-worthy?" suggested Snake helpfully.

"Yeah. That."

"Maybe he's not as innocent as you think," said Snake. "I always had a bad feeling about him."

"As if the six brawlers weren't enough," continued Ike, "when I went to visit them with a group of people, Samus was screaming in her sleep. She was saying 'No, Link! Stop! Please, don't!"

Snake shuddered. "That's horrible." Then a remembrance came to him. "Oh yeah…hey, Ike, I remember on the night of the fire, when I first saw them in the rubble. Link was half-on-top of Samus, like he was about to strangle her but had fallen unconscious in the process. Like he had knocked her over or pinned her down."

"It seems hard for anyone to catch Samus off guard."

"Ike….he's the freaking hero chosen by the goddesses. I think he has a pretty good chance against her."

"Yes, and she's a trained super-athlete with Chozo DNA injected into her."

"Wanna call it a draw?"

"….Sure."

They were quiet for a minute, ruminating. Then the door to the dining area opened, and - _speak of the devil - _Link himself walked in. He was still cut up and burnt, but looked noticeably better. There was a ringing silence. He took a half-step towards his normal table, but the Pokemon trainer barely, almost imperceptibly shook his head. Confused, Link hesitated in the doorway, and then wheeled around and took off down the hallway. Snake presumed that he was going to his room to eat. After all, he wasn't welcome anymore. It was only a matter of time before the Master Hand intervened and turned him into a trophy.

"Pika!"

With a little squeal, Pikachu took off after Link, bounding out of sight. He seemed to be trying to comfort him.

"That's it," growled Snake. "Murderers can't stay here in the Mansion."

"He's here until Master Hand tells him to leave. And if he hasn't yet, then I doubt he will."

"Contraire, my friend," Snake said excitedly, clapping Ike on the back. "He won't be here for much longer. Not if we run him out."

Ike looked at him with raised eyebrows. "And how, exactly, do you propose we do that?"

"Hell if I know."

Ike rolled his eyes. "You are one deep thinker, Snake."

"I know, Ike," said Snake, grinning maddeningly. "Oh, I know."

Later in the day, Snake had his first real Brawl of the season. He was nervous, to be honest, though he would rather die than admit it. A sick lump kept coming to his throat when he thought about standing on that stage, surrounded by thousands of people.

Snake would much rather be in the hospital wing, watching over Samus. The smoke inhalation had done much damage to her body. She drifted in and out of sleep, breathing hoarsely. She would not, or could not, speak to anyone.

But staying with Samus wasn't an option. He had even spoken to Master Hand about it, anxious about Samus staying in the mansion by herself. But Master Hand had told him gravely that one Brawler would not be missed; two gone would be conspicuous. And Snake had reluctantly agreed.

He stood cramped now in a small room inside 'Final Destination'. All of the Brawlers, usually so rowdy and restless, were stock-still, breathing rhythmically. Funny how they could be so in synch before the fight, but once the announcer said 'Go!' they became more alone and separate than ever possible.

The announcer was saying something now, but the words were muffled. Snake knew that his time was slowly ticking away, a steady metronome thudding in his ears. He looked around at Ike, but Ike was busy muttering under his breath, "Roll, shield, roll, charge, strike…"

Snake roved his eyes over the crowd, and was somewhat surprised to see the same old rivalries and friendships that were in the mansion, just less noticeable. Bowser was staring at Peach, Peach was staring at Mario, and Mario was standing in a corner by himself, looking pale and strained. Ike had finished his muttering and was staring at Zelda; Zelda was staring at Ganondorf, and Ganondorf was glaring at Link, who was determinedly avoiding everyone's gaze. Nana and Popo seemed to be in prayer along with Lucario. Pikachu was nervously sending tiny shocks of electricity down his body to warm himself up. Jigglypuff sang to herself quietly, while everyone near her swayed with drowsiness. Falco and Fox were having a conference while Wolf glared from afar.

Snake, feeling self-conscious and claustrophobic, shuffled off to an unoccupied corner and pressed against the cool, damp wall.

"Snake," said a tiny voice by his elbow. Snake looked down. It was the blonde psychic-boy, Lucas. "We're on a team, Snake! We're the first match."

Snake blinked. "Against who?"

"Link and Marth." Lucas bit his lip. "Is it really true, what they're saying about Link? Did he try to hurt Samus?"

Snake was about to tell this small child the exact story he had heard, but he found warmth and pity swelling up in his chest. Nobody should have to hear something that heartbreaking - that somebody they trusted turned out and betrayed them. Especially at such a young age.

"I don't know," he said. "Could be true, could be a lie." He hated himself from bringing a shining look of hope into Lucas's eyes.

"Do _you _believe it?" asked Lucas.

Snake shrugged, trying to keep his face empty of expression. "Just to be safe, stay away from him, okay?"

"Okay."

Lucas seemed content. They climbed together up the stairs. As Link brushed past him, Snake grabbed the blonde swordsman's shoulder and pulled him back. Lucas stopped, staring with wide, reflective eyes.

"Good luck," said Snake lowly, so nobody else could hear him. "You're going to need it."

Link stared hollow-eyed at him. Then he jerked out of Snake's grip and disappeared out of the entrance. Snake followed, smiling darkly to himself.

The stage was dazzling. Colors and twisting designs spiraled creatively in the background. A huge stadium stretched around the stage, filled with thousands - no, millions - of screaming, bloodthirsty, wild-eyed fans. They clawed at their seats, sporting the emblems of each game series, holding up foam fingers and madly shaking cowbells. Snake was overwhelmed by the chaos. Suddenly, fear clouded his vision. What could he do to satisfy this raging crowd, these crazed watchers of the violent madness? By God, even the boy who barely reached his waist had more Brawl experience than he.

"**Welcome Brawl fans!" **bellowed the announcer. **"Are you ready for a fight of epic proportions?"**

The crowd screamed its affirmative.

"**Can you give me an 'Oh yeah'?"**

They certainly could.

"**Wonderful!" **said the announcer. **"Now, here's a team battle you'll NEVER forget - veteran Link of Hyrule -"**

A collective, encouraging roar of the fans. Link looked at his feet, a bit embarrassed, and the crowd said collectively, "Aww!"

" **- and newcomer Marth -"**

More screams. Marth scratched his head.

" **- against psychic Lucas, and the brand-new Brawler who arrived merely days ago - Solid Snake!"**

Snake flinched back, half-expecting nobody to cheer, but there was a massive explosion of cheering that assaulted his ears with great force. The tips of his ears burned bright red.

"**Is everyone ready?"**

Oh, yes, the crowd screamed. Indeed they were. However, Snake never felt less ready in his life. He tensed himself, getting into position. Lucas tugged at his belt and whispered, "It's not as hard as it looks. Just trust your gut."

"**3! 2! 1! Go!"**

Instantly, they threw themselves into battle. Snake could hear the screams and cheering of the crowd as Lucas somehow caught Marth on fire. He was alarmed for a moment, but then he remembered that in the arena, nothing could cause real injury…not even a large, dangerous explosive. Which gave him an idea.

He sprinted towards Marth, who had smacked Lucas away with the flat side of his sword. He rolled around Marth quickly, and, thinking fast, swept his feet out to trip him. Marth stumbled - Snake took the opportunity to blast him quickly with his gun. There was a loud explosion and Marth went flying. Snake paused, shocked. But the swordsman barely seemed fazed. He merely shook his head, jumped to his feet, and dashed at Snake with his sword held high and ready.

They were really getting into it now. They were fighting so close that Snake was forced to use his fists, pummeling every inch of Marth's body that he could find. In return, he received sharp, painful jabs of a sharp sword. Every time he felt the point drive into his stomach, cold sweat broke out over him. His body was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that on the stage, sharp swords could not pierce him any more than bullets could pierce his opponent.

Suddenly, Lucas rammed into him, sent flying but a practiced swipe of Link's sword. Snake lost balance and fell over, knocking Marth over like a domino. They all went toppling to the ground.

"Sorry!" Link called, with the hint of a smirk.

_Cheeky little lying b -_

Snake didn't finish the thought before Marth grabbed him and kicked him over the edge. His heart seemed to freeze in his chest. Snake desperately grabbed at the ledge, clinging with all of his strength. Thinking fast, he flipped back up, steadied himself, and side-by-side with Lucas, sent Marth tumbling into the dark pit below with an onslaught of PK Something-or-the-other and blasts of Snake's weaponry. There was a vicious burst of bloody red light, and Marth appeared, renewed, on a floating, rotating platform above their heads. His eyes gleamed with thirst for more battle.

Link had reached Snake by now. Snake was fairly spitting with fury.

"You don't deserve to live," he hissed, grabbed him around the neck and throwing him across the battlefield. Link darted to his feet and dodged Snake's attacks, hitting him with a ferocious slash from behind.

"Why do you hate me so much?" he asked, stabbing Snake again, panting.

"I know what you did," growled Snake. He, too, was gasping for breath, and aching all over. The crowd sounded like wild animals; they were lapping this up. It was their lifeblood.

Lucas and Marth actually stopped fighting to watch. Link merely looked confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"_You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! Stop playing dumb!"_

Marth neatly K.O.'d Lucas while he was engrossed in the scene. The boy respawned with stinging fury and the indignation of a child - a powerful thing to use in battle.

"That wasn't fair!" he said.

Marth shrugged. "You ganged up on me," he countered. Then he muttered, "Cowards."

Snake avoided Link's next attack and threw a grenade. Link picked it up and threw it over the edge, where in exploded harmlessly in the endless darkness.

"Actually, no, I don't," said Link suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. "Are you referring - " - he threw his boomerang but missed - "…to that lovely scene -" He shielded against Snake's fiery assault of rockets - "…in the mansion before the fire?"

"_No, you idiot!"_

Snake stopped, lips curling in his fury. He glared at the mystified Link. This time, Marth and Lucas were both engrossed in the conversation. The crowd was quieting, trying to listen to what was being said.

"Then please explain," said Link, lowering his sword a little.

"You - you tried to kill Samus," said Snake. "You fought her and trapped her in that room and caught the place on fire."

"What the _hell _are you talking about?" said Link. "I would never do that."

"Six people saw you do it!" shouted Snake.

"Really? Name them."

"I don't know who they were!"

"Then perhaps they don't exist."

"They _do!" _Snake said furiously. "You're a liar and a murderer! There's evidence, Link! If you didn't do it, why is Samus screaming in her sleep? Why is there evidence of a fight in that room you were in? How else did the fire start?"

Link was trying to think of something to say. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. Snake had him, he knew it.

"I didn't do it," Link protested, but Snake saw that his heart was not in it. Link looked over to his teammate. "Marth? Help me finish them."

But Marth would not move. His expression was stony.

"No," he said.

Link looked wildly back and forth from Snake to Marth. Finally, his eyes darkened and he turned away. If they fought anymore, it would go from two-on-two to three-on-one. Snake watched him retreat to the far edge of the stage and signal for a forfeit on the match. The crowd began to boo.

"Coward!" shouted Lucas for emphasis.

Link slowly turned around.

"It's only cowardice if you turn from danger," he murmured. "Turning from foolishness is another thing entirely."

And with that, he left the battlefield.


	9. Chapter 9

Morning came, cold and clear, and with it came a sense of foreboding too deep and strange for words. Tension crackled like electricity in the air.

Snake's head snapped up from where it had been resting against his chest. He yawned, stretching, nearly knocking over the fragile medical instruments that were arranged on the tabletop to his left. He had slept in the hospital wing that night, and he knew he shouldn't have. He should be in a comfortable bed, recovering from all stiffness and soreness. But Snake couldn't go to sleep knowing that Samus had been alone all day. So he stayed, dozing lightly in a chair next to Samus's bed.

"Hello, Peach," he said as the princess bustled past him.

She paused. "Hi Snake. Did you spend the night here?"

"Mm-hmm."

She muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Creepy stalker." Then she smiled sweetly. "Did you find it comfortable?"

"Not really."

"Hmm." Peach's lips tugged into a playful smile. She tousled his hair and said in a much more solemn tone, "She isn't getting better."

Snake looked at the floor. He suspected as much. Samus may no longer be badly burned, but there was still substantial damage to her system.

"I'm fearing that she'll go into a coma," said Peach matter-of-factly. "The carbon monoxide poisoning is getting to be too much for her body."

"She'll live, won't she?" said Snake pleadingly.

Peach dipped her head. "Of course. Now…I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Just for a little while," she added, when he grunted his complaints. "You can come back tonight, but seriously, Snake, your presence isn't going to help her any."

Her eyes were thorny, but her tone was dripping with honey. Peach was a master of persuasion. Snake's thoughts were vivid and scattered, like a handful of butterflies set loose in his brain. He stammered, "Okay. I - I'll just be going, then."

Blankly, he went out the door and stumbled down the hallway in a listless reverie. Almost unconsciously, his feet took him to the dining hall, where Ike was eating at their usual table. Pit was next to him, occupying Snake's normal spot.

"Ahem…?" Snake cleared his throat. Pit gave a startled cry and wheeled around. His wings quivered.

"Oh…," said the angel nervously. "Hi. Sorry. I…you…I'll sit somewhere else!"

Pit made a mad dash for another table, but Snake pulled him back.

"I'm not _mad _at you," he said firmly. "Sit down." He was determined to make many more friends, even if they were as jumpy as a jar of crickets. Shivering, Pit obliged, sitting on Ike's other side.

"Hey Snake!" Ike greeted him, jamming a piece of biscuit in his mouth. "Why are you always late to breakfast?"

Snake shrugged, settling down on his chair. He had a plan in his head. It was a vague plan, wispy and undefined, but it might just work. He just had to convince the rest of the mansion to agree with it…

"Where's Link?" he asked, pushing away his plate queasily.

"Eating in his room. Nobody would let him come in here, anyway." Ike lowered his voice in utter seriousness. "I think the rumor is true, Snake. I think he really did it. And what's to stop him from going into the hospital wing, overpowering Peach, and finishing Samus off? It would be easy…that is, unless Peach gets into one of her demonic moods beforehand."

They both shivered simultaneously.

"Pit, you saw him do it, right?" asked Snake, leaning around to look at the twitchy angel.

Pit blinked at him. "Um…yeah."

"What did it look like?"

Pit looked around, as if to see if anyone was listening. But nobody was paying attention. Ganondorf was sitting at the table behind them, eating quietly, lost in his own murderous thoughts. Yoshi was sitting at the table next to him with Kirby, Jigglypuff, and Pikachu, ensnared by an animated debate they were having.

"Horrible," Pit finally said. "They were just sitting there, and then they kind of started talking. After a while, they started yelling. That's when Link pulled out his sword…" Pit was pale and breathing fast, as if the memory was deeply traumatic. "He chased her around for a while, and they fought. Then he screamed something at her that shut them both up, and he took out what looked like a firework thing and put it in the fireplace."

"What next?" Snake pressed.

Pit appeared to be thinking hard. "I don't exactly remember." Then he stiffened. "Oh…wait. I remember now. He started to run out of the room, but…uh…Samus pulled him back with her laser-thingy and they fell over, and then the place caught on fire. He kinda wrestled with her for a while and then the ceiling caved in and they both got knocked out. That's when I ran."

"Wow," said Ike.

Snake felt the all-too-familiar anger bubble in his stomach. He pictured the entire scene - the flash of Link's sword as he pulled it out of its sheath, the shock spreading over Samus's face at the betrayal, the screaming and yelling as the two lovers turned violently against each other…it was too much to handle. He found himself standing up and striding to the front of the room.

Ike stage-whispered, "What are you doing?" Snake ignored him.

"EVERYONE!" he bellowed. "I have an announcement."

Never mind the fact that his legs were shaking. Never mind that his palms were sweating, and his childhood fears of public speaking were haunting him once again. This was a message that he had to get across. The Brawlers stopped dining and looked at him quizzically. Ike was frowning.

"Siddown, Snake!" someone said.

"No," he heard himself say. "This is important! Everyone, LISTEN UP!"

"We're listening," said Zelda.

Snake took a deep breath and began, aware of all eyes on him. "Um." He cleared his throat. "You all know…I mean…you've all heard of what happened. Four nights ago, I think it was. With the fire."

There was general head nodding among the audience.

"Well," said Snake, "I'd like to propose something. We can't let a murderer stay in the mansion -"

There were hisses of outrage at this statement. Mario stood up defiantly and shouted, his face as red as a tomato, "He's a veteran! These a-filthy rumors are nothing more than that - rumors!"

Snake felt a crushing sensation. He was fighting a losing battle. These people trusted Link too much to believe what Snake was telling them, even what the evidence was telling them.

"You don't understand," Snake said halfheartedly. "Just because he's a veteran doesn't mean he's a _saint." _

More enraged shouts ensued. Falco cried out, feathers bristling indignantly, "Oh, because _you're _so perfect, aren't you, Snake?"

"At least I didn't try to kill anyone!" Snake retorted.

That shut them up. They glared. Some coldly turned back to their breakfasts; others muttered amongst themselves. However, there were a few who continued to hold his gaze, looking mildly interested. Ike shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Like I said before," said Snake, with a little more conviction, "people like him shouldn't stay here. So I suggest that we kind of…scare him off."

There was a tense pause, and then Marth called out, "How?"

"I'm making an organization," said Snake, making it up as he went along. "The…ah…Anti…um…"

"How about the Warriors Of Justice?" suggested Lucas, his eyes bulging excitedly.

"Oh…uh…sure. The WOJ. If we get enough people, then Link will realize that nobody wants him here…and he'll leave. Hopefully. Does everyone agree?"

Without a word, Zelda got up and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Pikachu followed quickly. The rest remained in their seats, clearly uneasy, torn in half.

"Brilliant," said Snake. "I'll pass a sign-up list around."

He tore a sheet of paper off of the notebook on Master Hand's podium, grabbed a pen, and scribbled at the top of the paper: WARRIORS OF JUSTICE. He threw it at the nearest table, who passed to the next one without signing it. He was disheartened only for a moment. The first sign-up was the Pokemon Trainer. He beamed - perhaps his small association for the greater good wasn't hopeless after all.

The paper traveled the huge room, becoming stained with hasty signatures and crumpled by many hands, paws, and stubs passing it around. Many ignored the paper with an upturned nose - some wrote idiotic things, like _'Bigfoot' _and _'Your Worst Nightmare'. _One Brawler had the nerve to write _'Link'. _Eventually, the paper made it back to Snake, who looked over the results with a slightly raised eyebrow. It read:

WARRIORS OF JUSTICE.

_Red_

_Wolf_

_Bowser_

_DK_

_Little DK_

_Bigfoot_

_GANONDORF_

_Marth_

_Ness_

_Lucas_

_Ike_

_Wario_

_Sonic_

_Your Worst Nightmare_

_Link_

_Snake's an idiot_

_Crazy Hand_

_Mr. Game and Watch_

_Cabbagehead_

Snake crossed out the snide remarks and the dim-witted nicknames. He was rather pleased with the results, which were far more than he thought he would get. He calculated those who had not signed, and was surprised that Pit had neglected to sign his paper. Frowning, Snake retook his seat and tucked the paper into his pocket.

"Pit," he said. "Why didn't you sign? You were one of the actual witnesses."

Pit rocked back and forth on his seat. "I guess…I'm kind of afraid."

"Of what?"

"That I'll be next. There's no Witness Protection Program at Brawl."

Snake tried to give a reassuring smile. "You can fight, Pit. You'll be able to defend yourself."

Pit mumbled something, but didn't protest. He signed the paper.

Later that night, when nearly everyone was sound asleep, there came a scream from upstairs. It was sounded suspiciously like a woman's scream, and instead of being fraught with terror, it was twisted with rage. Snake was ripped unceremoniously from the edge of his uneasy dreams. He shot bolt upright. It was the first night that he had slept in his own bed, and his aching back had accepted the mattress gladly. Now he wished that he had stayed in the hospital wing.

The scream sounded like Peach's.

Snake wrestled out of his bed sheets and raced upstairs, panting, trampling Sonic underfoot on the staircase. He skidded to a stop in front of the wing. A moment later, Link darted out of the doorway and disappeared around the corner before Snake could react. Peach blitzed after him, her frying pan held high, a possessed expression souring her pretty face. She hiked her dress up with her free hand to run faster. Snake watched the scene curiously.

CLANG!

The frying pan connected with something. Uncertain of whether to laugh or help, Snake trotted around the corner to see what was going on. Unfortunately, the pan had missed and hit the wall. Link was just taking a breath of relief when Peach hurled the pan at his face. He turned, startled; it missed its target, banged into his chest, and clattered to the floor.

Link didn't look hurt, but he stared at her incredulously. Then he ran out of sight.

"AND STAY OUT!" Peach screamed, her hair falling out of place.

"Whoa, whoa," Snake murmured. He caught her by the arm. "What happened?"

"_What do you THINK happened?" _Peach snapped. "He tried to get into the hospital wing! At night! He was going to finish Samus off!"

"And you fought him off?"

"Didn't have to," said Peach, finally calming a little. "I screamed and he ran. Then I got my pan and went after him."

"You want to join the WOJ?"

Peach nodded, her hands balling up into angry little fists.

Snake wordlessly handed the paper over. She stabbed her name onto it, pressing so hard that she tore holes with the tip of the pen. Then she slunk back into the wing.

Snake felt like his time was coming at last.

_Look out, Link, _he thought victoriously. _We're coming for you._


	10. Chapter 10

Four days after the initial announcement of the WOJ, Master Hand claimed that the source of the fire had been found. It had originated from the fireplace room where Samus and Link were lounging, minutes before everything went wrong. This was proof enough for many. After this announcement, any Brawlers who hadn't signed up for WOJ were suddenly clamoring to put their names down. The only exceptions were Zelda and Pikachu, who regarded the whole matter with a cold, sullen defiance.

Snake considered it a triumph….

But Ike didn't.

"I actually think this whole thing is going overboard," said Ike bluntly, when they were both hanging out in the lounge. "You're kind of…um…"

Snake narrowed his eyes. "I'm _what?"_

"You want to know what you remind me of?"

"No."

"A dictator on steroids."

Snake snorted.

"It's true," Ike insisted. "Okay, so Link did something terrible. But you don't have to demand that everyone start hating him…"

Snake resisted the strong urge to pull Ike's hair. "It's the only way to run him out."

"There are other ways!"

"Like what?" demanded Snake, nettled.

"Challenge him to a duel or something! I don't know! Be noble about it! Talk to Master Hand! Anything is better than this - than shunning him and making a big clique like a thirteen year old girl might do!" Ike glowered, slowly shaking his head in exasperation.

Snake felt a flash of irritation. "This _is _noble. Nobody gets hurt this way - we're all united." He remembered Olimar's advice and felt faintly proud of himself. Nobody was getting hurt in his revenge - except for Link, of course, but that was the goal of the project.

Ike, however, didn't get the logic of his plans. "I don't understand you, Snake. You want Link out? _Make _him get out! There's no need for all this subtlety and secrecy! I thought you were better than _that!_'"

"Whoa!" Snake held up his hands, palms outward. "Why are you getting all pissy? This has nothing to do with you."

"Fine." Ike slammed his hands down on the couch, making the remotes quiver and the Ice Climbers look over nervously. "Don't listen to me. Whatever. Just do what _you_ want - that's all you care about anyway." His voice had a hard, sneering edge. Then his best friend in Brawl got up and stormed out, leaving a cold, throbbing silence behind him.

"_Damn," _said Snake. "When the Hate Fest start?"

He felt unsettled. If he couldn't trust Ike to be on his side, then who _could _he trust?

He wandered aimlessly, wondering if others saw him as obtuse and cowardly. Perhaps Ike was right; perhaps it was time to conceive another plan. He stopped once, to try and talk to Zelda and maybe redeem himself in her eyes, but his attempts had disappointingly bitter reception.

"Go on and try to take out your jealousy on other people!" Zelda said coldly. "That's what you're best at! But don't expect me to be so stupid as to fall for it!"

Snake bristled. "Jealousy? What do you mean?"

"Ike told me everything," said Zelda, rather snappishly. "He told me that you missed your chance with Samus, and now you're taking it out on _Link_ -"

"He told you that?"

Snake felt sick to his stomach. Like somebody had driven a contorted, rusty nail into his skin.

"He didn't say exactly that," said Zelda. "He said you were jealous and that you were 'weren't capable' of dealing with it." She shrugged. "It all boils down to the same thing."

"No, it _doesn't," _snapped Snake. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her until she understood. "Why don't you _get _that? This has nothing to do with the fact that he and Samus were - you know! It's because he tried to kill her!"

"Yeah, okay, Snake," said Zelda. He could tell she didn't believe him.

"What were you doing with Ike, anyway?" Snake said rudely.

For the first time, Zelda flushed pink. "None of your business," she said angrily.

"What's the matter, Princess? Did I strike a nerve?"

"Get lost."

Zelda brushed past him, face growing redder every second, almost knocking him over in her haste to get away. Snake could not help feeling like he had scored a point for himself, for Team Snake. The feeling soon faded, however, leaving him an empty shell. What was he going to do now? Ike was right…all of this shunning nonsense was exactly that - nonsense. He needed to be Solid Snake of FOXHOUND. He needed to be stronger than he currently was.

Snake headed up for the hospital wing. So absorbed was he in his own thoughts that he didn't answer when Sonic ground out a grudging 'Hello'. He barely saw where he was going - he hoped his feet knew their way around on their own. He exhaled in relief when he saw that he had reached the right place.

Peach was fast asleep, her bangs quivering when she exhaled. Snake stood quietly, looking at her for a time, feeling sorry for her. Peach was nearly working herself to death. There were dark pouches under her eyes. As if she sensed him standing there, she jerked guiltily awake.

"Oh! Sna -a -a -a -" She yawned, unable to finish the word. "Sorry - I was a bit tired…I must have dozed off."

"I'll leave you to sleep," Snake offered.

"No," said Peach, yawning again. She heaved herself to her feet. "I expect you want news on her, right?"

"Well," said Snake, "if it doesn't bother you too much -"

"Of course it doesn't," said Peach bossily. She pulled open the curtains that surrounded Peach's bed. A small crease appeared between her eyebrows. "How are you feeling?"

There was no reply.

Snake shifted forward, suddenly afraid of what he might see. He peered over Peach's shoulder. There lay Samus, her lips cracked and wrinkled like elephant hide, her pale, pale skin stretched too tight over her sharp bones. She looked like a dying wax figure. Her eyes were sunken and hollow, too deep for her thin face. There was no recognition in her eyes, which were cloudy, milky, like a film had developed over them. Snake had the sensation of being hit by a truck. Was this the strong, silent woman he had known? Laying collapsed and scary-skinny on a hospital bed, wasting away the hours in agony?

"Is she…?" Snake let his question trail off into the air.

"She's hanging in there," said Peach dryly.

"But why is she so…sickly?" A lump was forming in his throat. "Smoke isn't supposed to do this."

"The smoke is doing weird things to her body," Peach said helplessly. "I guess her 'alien' blood, if that's what you call it, doesn't react the same way. It's…hurting her. I don't know what to do anymore - or if there's even anything left to do."

Snake tried to smile, he tried so damn hard. Everything underneath was breaking. "That's okay, though, right? Because we'll get some other doctors. They'll know what to do."

He didn't understand why Peach was shaking her head, why she was shooting this bright new hope down with a moment of consideration. Her lips were pressed in a small, thin line.

"There are no others, Snake."

Snake stared at her, uncomprehending. There were always doctors - it was one of the luxuries, one of the promises, of life. There was always a doctor, someone who could help. He still held on to that horrible, fake, cheery smile and tried to inject his words with the hopefulness that refused to die.

"Not in the Mansion," he said, "but in other places -"

"What places?" said Peach. "There _are _no places, Snake. And if there were, they'd be too far away. Samus doesn't have that kind of time."

What she was saying didn't make sense, because Snake didn't want it to. He blocked out the meaning, the weight, of her words. He could feel his manic hopes curl up and shudder in their final breaths, and then implode with their deaths.

He was hot and flushed, and he had collapsed into a chair without remembering doing it. Snake looked up at Peach's solemn eyes and felt brittle reality settle on his bones.

"Master Hand," he croaked, knowing that it was no use.

Peach continued to stare at him. He realized that he was still smiling, almost like a reflex to keep him holding to that edge of sanity he had clinging to since the fire occurred. Snake could not seem to stop.

"He's not all-powerful," whispered Peach. "He can't do everything. Snake…are you…do you need to lie down?"

That meant that he was scaring her.

"I'm fine!" said Snake. He closed his eyes. "Just tell me she'll be alright."

Peach didn't.

__

She's dying,

Shut up! Shut up!

A small voice in his head began to speak. _She's dying __slowly, from the inside out. You can see how much she's already a corpse. You've known this for days._

Snake felt the last bit of whatever he was holding on to crumble away.

Peach, who was watching him with a depressed, miserable sort of look on face, spoke up quickly. "Snake…I can give her more medication and keep my fingers crossed. But the best I can do is extend her life about three days, tops. Maybe four, if she responds better than she has been. I'm so sorry."

Snake's voice was hollow and dead when he replied, "So am I."


	11. Chapter 11

Over the course of an hour, Snake became utterly useless.

He didn't want to eat. He didn't want to talk. He would rather die than find the energy to vibrantly fight in front of thousands of bloodthirsty fans. Snake was slumped for the rest of the day on the couch, sickening depression eating away at his insides, his eyes milky with unspoken words. Time lurched on, unevenly, like a lamb stumbling into the world on thin legs for the first time. While the other Brawlers laughed at Olimar's TV show, he wished privately that they'd all shut up and watch it somewhere else. Samus was dying, and it was killing him, too, though he did not realize it.

He curled up into a smaller ball on the couch, wincing a little as King Dedede plopped down next to him, laughing raucously as Sonic was ridiculed on the TV screen. Snake immediately jumped up and left, scowling. He couldn't believe these people - acting as if Samus had never even existed, as if it were just another Friday night.

As was habit, Snake traveled up to the hospital wing.

Peach had left for the night, closing the curtains around Samus and turning off all the lights. Snake walked over to the bed. He was afraid to look inside.

The lights turned on.

Snake wheeled around, and saw Link standing there, his hand on the light switch. A cluster of a strange white herb, tinged with green, was in his other. He looked as shocked as Snake felt.

"You?" he said. It sounded almost like an accusation. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you _doing here?" demanded Snake, forgetting for a moment that they were unofficial mortal enemies. Right now, they were just Snake and Link, surprised to meet each other in an unlikely place.

"I -"

"What's that?" Snake gestured to the flowers. All of his dislike was pouring back. "What are those, exotic flowers? What, do you always give gifts to your victims if they survive the first attack?"

He took a step forward, and caught the scent of the strange flowers. Sharp and acidic.

"Are those poisoned?"

"Snake -"

Before he could say another word, Snake snatched the flowers out of his grip. Link made a noise of disbelief.

"You're trying to finish her off," said Snake in a scratchy, pulsing voice. It was a scary, forced calm.

"Don't," said Link with great difficulty, "_touch _them. Give them back."

Snake dropped the poisoned flowers and stomped on them. When they were only powder, he looked up and glared with all of his power.

"I can't believe you," Snake hissed, disgust throbbing in every syllable. His vision had gone red in his anger. "You're the most pathetic creature that ever lived."

Link didn't say anything. He was visibly restraining himself.

"What does it take, Link?" snarled Snake. "What does it take to make you understand? You made a dumb, dumb mistake and now you're paying for it. I'm not going to play games with you - I'm tired of that."

He was breathing hard. He could already picture Link lying spread-eagled on the ground, his chosen-hero blood spilling over the floor and aligning into red flowers on the tiles. His face emotionless, eyes glazed over the great finality - death.

"What do you want from me?" asked Link quietly. His eyes were darker than usual, cold and unforgiving. "The truth? I've already given it to you."

Samus made a small, breathy noise in her sleep and a fist of aching pain closed around Snake's heart. He fingered his utility belt. "The hell you have."

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing more to say."

Snake barked out a mirthless laugh. "Oh, really? You haven't said _anything _yet!"

"You're just not listening," said Link.

"Look at you!" said Snake. "You're full of lies - you're hurting over them! Why won't you just confess? It won't matter anyway - because Samus is going to die, and you're still going to win! The game has played out in your favor - she won't be here for much longer…and hopefully…neither will you." He let the cold weight of his word sink in.

Link looked at him apprehensively. "I didn't do it."

"There's no reason for you to still be insisting on this stupid lie -"

Link closed his eyes. "Snake. Damn it, shut up."

Snake fell silent, waiting. He had a nice, good hold on his grenade launcher - one blast could send the swordsman through the wall - of course, it would also knock himself into the opposite wall, but he would worry about the consequences of _that _later.

"Are you _listening _to me at all?" said Link. "I did not try to kill Samus - I would never want to, ever. I would rather throw myself off the nearest available 300-foot drop-off."

"I like the sound of that," muttered Snake.

Link didn't grace his remark with a reply. Instead, he said calmly, "I'm not leaving the mansion."

"Oh, yes you are."

"No. I'm not. And that herb isn't poisoned - it's medicine. Thank you for stomping on it, though. I appreciated that."

Snake refused to let himself be swayed. He made a faint growling noise in his throat. "So you think your petty story will get you off the hook?"

"That's what I was hoping, yes," said Link bluntly.

"Well, it won't," Snake said. "Master Hand said the fire originated from that room. What do you have to say to that? _Did you start the fire?"_

Link didn't even blink. "Yes."

"_What? _If you started the fire, then how could you possibly say that you didn't try to kill her?" said Snake, apoplectic.

"Snake, you idiot!" Link's eyes flashed angrily, and for a second Snake thought he saw Link's hand twitch toward the hilt of his sword. "I didn't say I started it _on purpose! _It was an accident!"

"An accident," Snake repeated in utter disbelief. The fire in his body reached its peak. "Well, you know what _isn't _an accident?"

He threw himself at Link and felt his fist connect with muscled flesh. He quickly brought up his knee, his elbows, anything that he could use to inflict pain on this lying, shameless murderer. Link was thrown backwards, knocking over a picture frame with a small yelp of surprise. Then he started to fight back. Link hardly ever fought with his bare hands, but he did so now, and showed no ounce of hesitation or mercy. Fists driving into flesh. Pain exploding like stars. They were one and one, evenly matched, and there would be no winner - Snake could sense that through the heat and the flurry. Not unless somebody broke the rules.

Aching and throbbing all over, Snake broke away and pulled out his remote-controlled rocket missile. He shot it at Link, who barely held up his shield in time. Link unsheathed his sword, and with the skilled grace of a born swordsman, he gave a fierce war cry and slashed everywhere, the blade of the sword stabbing into Snake's unprotected body, driving mercilessly into his skin with acute, electrifying pain. Hatred and despair and frustration bled through the gaps that separated them, through a network of heat and voice and anguish, until they were connected…and they were as one person. One person against himself. One person against the world. Ostracized. Alone.

Snake was fighting back the only way he knew how, with firepower. But there was something strange about it, something not quite right. It was like he was fighting against his brother instead of his rival; his friend instead of his enemy. They were broken away by the same thing that connected them - sword and gun, fist on fist - and every attack made Snake think of his own brother, or Ike, or even Samus, and a terrible weight descended on him. But he couldn't stop.

"Oh my," a female voice faintly gasped.

They both stopped mid-attack and turned slowly to the doorway. Peach stood there, her face as white as snow, her hand over her heart. Snake pictured how the scene looked to her. Two Brawlers, sword and gun raised on each other, bruised and bloodstained, right in the middle of the hospital wing with a dying patient not two beds away.

"Peach," said Snake, but she didn't answer. Her eyes were huge and round with surprise.

Peach took out her frying pan and took a couple of steps towards Link, finally getting back some of her sense. Link took a step backward. It was apparent that he was hesitant to attack. Something crunched under Peach's foot. She stopped and reached down, picking up the last intact flower. She sniffed it hesitantly; a look of wonder and delight came over her face. She ripped open the curtains to Samus's bed and bent over her, busying herself with the tasks of healing, and a moment later she stepped back, smiling.

"Look," she whispered. "Look at how much color has gone back to her cheeks."

Snake and Link moved forward to stand by the bed. Snake didn't even have the heart to push Link away. They leaned forward and saw it for themselves - Samus had a familiar flush in her cheeks, and her breathing grew a bit easier - deeper, cleaner, somehow. Her clenched muscles relaxed.

"She'll be okay," said Peach, and she was crying. "Everything will be okay."

"Did the herb - ?" Snake asked, his question trailing off into space.

Peach nodded. "It saved her. I don't know where you got it, Snake, but I'm awfully grateful -"

Link looked at him silently, his blue eyes scorching.

"You're welcome," said Snake, ignoring him.

"Oh, _look," _blubbered Peach. "She's awake! Samus is awake!" Tears were streaming shamelessly down her cheeks.

It was true. Samus had weakly fluttered her eyes open and was gazing blankly at them. Dim recognition flickered in her pupils. Then they dilated with fear.

"Get out of here!" hissed Snake, grabbing Link's arm.

"Wait!" said Link breathlessly. His eyes were fixed, unblinking, on Samus. He reached out and, light as gossamer, touched her on the arm. The response was warm, and for Snake, disheartening. Samus wrapped her fingers around his wrist and closed her eyes, breathing more easily.

"Samus," said Link quietly.

She opened her eyes. "Link," she responded, in a voice stronger than Snake expected.

"What do you remember?" he asked her in a low, urgent tone.

Samus blinked and looked around at the brightly lit room. "Where am I?"

"This is important," said Link. _"What do you remember?"_

The dreamy look on her face faded away as he spoke, replaced by a puzzled frown. She seemed to be remembering intensely. She shuddered and said in a soft croak, "There was a fire." She rubbed her arms, where the bandages were. Where the burns were.

"What happened right before then?" asked Snake, catching on. "Link started the fire, didn't he?"

Samus looked more perplexed than ever. "Of course he didn't."

"But - but - he _said _he did!"

"A firework started the fire," said Samus, remembering more clearly now. The glow on her cheeks seemed to increase, as did the sparkle of her eyes. "I said I was cold. Link turned on the fireplace for me, and then two bottle rockets came shooting out and ignited the room."

"Stars exploding," murmured Link.

Snake could feel the room tilt at an angle. This could not be happening. The horror of it engrossed him, held him in a deadly iron, pincer-like grip, and sharp reality drove into his heart.

"Hold on," said Peach. Her voice seemed to be coming from very, very far away. "If you didn't start the fire, Link, who put the bottle rockets in there?"

The cruelty of the world had never been so great as this moment. Snake put a hand to his aching head, and decided to confess to the world what he realized had happened - what had truly happened that night. And all the damage it had caused. The room was spinning. His head was spinning…

"It was me," he said faintly. "I'm the one who did it. I started the fire."


	12. Chapter 12

***Hi readers! Sorry about the long wait, I've been drowning in school work. Just so you know, this is NOT the last chapter...there's definitely (sp?) more coming, and hopefully there won't be a very long wait. I might even have another chapter up tomorrow. Anyway, keep reviewing - they make my day a billion times better. :D You guys rock! And don't worry, there's no Sonic abuse in this chapter. xD**

It was so silent in the room that Snake could hear his own heartbeat.

The silence was killing him. He had to say something, he had to make them understand. But his mouth wasn't functioning properly.

"_You?" _said Peach uncertainly. "Don't be ridiculous."

"You weren't in the room with us," said Link. "How could you have possibly done anything?"

Everyone was staring at him, waiting for an explanation. Snake somehow found his tongue.

"After I saw you and her kiss," he said, and Samus and Link both blushed a little. "I was mad…really mad." He thought back to it, remembering everything as clearly as if it had happened merely seconds ago. "So I went outside and went to the forest. But before I did that, I lit off a couple of bottle rockets."

He took a deep breath.

"I saw two of them fly over the roof, and I guess their fuses didn't finish burning, and they fell into the fireplace. Then, when Link lit it, the rockets flew out, exploded, and started the fire. But I was in the forest by then, and with no idea of what happened."

More silence greeted his story.

"But it's not _all _my fault," said Snake weakly. "What about the six people that said Link started to fight Samus? If he hadn't, she would have been able to get out! And why were you half-on top of her when I found you guys, like you were trying to strangle her?" He was shouting at the top of his voice, but he barely realized it. "How do you explain _that?"_

It was then that Samus spoke up. Her eyes were slightly glazed as if she was extremely tired, her face was still slightly red, but she was still every ounce as beautiful. Determination sharpened her features. "There was never a fight. When the bottle rockets came out and the fire spread over the door, we panicked and tried to break it down with our weapons. Then we went for the window." Her voice got quieter. "Snake…Link almost killed himself trying to _save _me. The smoke was making me so dizzy that I was useless. He blew up the wall with his bombs and we got out, and when rubble started to fall, he shielded me from it. That's all that happened. Without him, I would have been dead on the scene for sure."

"But," said Link hoarsely, raising up his head from where it had been resting in his hands, "if I hadn't turned on the fireplace, none of this would have ever happened! I may as well have started the fire, for all the damage I've caused!"

Samus smiled at him and took his hand, where the Triforce was straining against his skin in his moment of passion. He calmed, but it didn't disappear.

"My fault," he whispered hollowly.

Snake's head was hurting. If he were the sort to blush with shame, he would have done so now. He would be glowing like a sunset. He had subjected Link to humiliation, rejection, and loneliness - and all for what? Nothing! He could have killed himself; in fact, nothing seemed more appealing at that moment. It was better than facing the shame and guilt to come. Damn. There was no way around it - he had to say it.

"Please," he told Link, gritting his teeth. "Stop taking the blame. It's my fault. I know you didn't do it now. I - I -" _Snake! Good LORD, just SAY IT! _"I'm sorry."

Link looked taken aback. "Did you just apologize?"

"I can take it back, if you like," Snake growled.

Link ran a hand through his dark-blonde hair. Finally, he closed his eyes and said lowly, "I can't accept your apology, but I…" He hesitated. "I do _appreciate _it."

"Oh, well, that's good," said Snake sardonically. "As long as I have your approval."

"Stop it, Snake," Samus croaked unexpectedly.

Snake fell quiet, disturbed. He couldn't believe that he actually felt guilty for his sarcasm. They stood there, completely silent, except for their quiet breathing, and occasionally Peach's subdued sniffling. It was a disconcerting moment.

"Well," said Snake finally, breaking it, "who were the six people who said they had evidence? Obviously they were lying…or something."

This thought had obviously not occurred to the others. Peach said flatly, "Yeah, I know who they were. Pit, Ness, Popo, Nana, Jigglypuff, and Kirby." She clenched her fists, probably thinking longingly about using her frying pan on them.

"So, all of the children," said Link.

They looked at each other understandingly. Children were easy to trick. Children were gullible. Children, looking in through a tiny window, would likely misinterpret the situation…and think it was an attack instead of a rescue mission…

"Time to get this whole thing cleared up," Snake said, immediately taking charge out of habit. "I'm going to go get Pit."

Ten minutes later, Snake had cornered Pit in the kitchen. It was quite easy tracking him down. Pit was deeply engaged in beating up the Sandbag, which hopped away, quivering, as soon as Snake arrived.

"You," Snake growled, advancing on him. "You lied to me!"

Pit held up his hands in apparent confusion. "What? Snake? What are you doing here?"

"You said you saw Link light the fire. Well, guess what? He didn't!"

Pit looked somberly in the direction that the Sandbag had disappeared. "I wonder if Sandbags can feel pain."

"Don't change the subject," said Snake, rolling his eyes heavenward. "Look…just tell me the truth. Okay? If you lied…then I swear I won't go beserk. I just want to hear you say it to my face."

Pit eyed him nervously. Then, suddenly, he went limp, as if he was giving up.

"Okay, _fine," _he said in a small voice. "I lied."

"WHAT?" Snake exploded.

"Hey!" said Pit hotly. "You said you wouldn't go beserk!'

"Yeah, well, I lied," said Snake. "That's something we have in common."

Pit flinched back as if he had been hit. Snake took a deep breath. He had to remember that he was dealing with somebody much younger than himself, someone whose feelings could be hurt much, much easier.

"Why, Pit?" he asked, more softly.

"It's not what you think," the angel mumbled. "I was forced to."

"Forced to lie?" Snake found this hard to believe. "By what?"

"By _who, _you mean," said Pit. His voice was trembling. He closed his eyes. "P-Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Yeah."

"Ganondorf m-made me do it," stammered Pit, tensing up as if he expected Ganondorf to come strolling in at any second. "He c-cornered a bunch of us and told us that we h-had to say Link did it. He said that otherwise, he would k-kill us. He also said that C-C-Crazy Hand was on his side, and if - and if w-we told a-anyone, Crazy Hand w-would r-r-rip us apart." Pit desperately lunged forward, his eyes blazing in a sudden fervor. "S-Snake! You c-c-can't tell _anyone!"_

Snake, however, was busy trying to absorb the first bit of information. Ganondorf? Strangely, somewhere deep in his baffled mind, it made sense.

"He thought Master Hand would kill Link," said Snake hollowly. Yes…it did indeed make complete sense. Blame everything on Link, and Master Hand himself would come down and take him away. "That's why." Ganondorf may not have planned for the fire to start, but he seized the opportunity. Link just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Thank you, Pit," said Snake, and meant it. "Everything makes sense now."

"I didn't want to do it," Pit pressed. "Please don't think I w-wanted to do it! I wanted to consult my Goddess, but I was afraid - and -"

Snake understood. Fear destroyed all of your common sense. He had been through it before - the trick was learning how to work around it, even when it was choking you.

"Goodbye, Pit," said Snake. "I won't tell anyone - I promise."

But he didn't mean it. Keeping dumb promises was never something he excelled at.


	13. Chapter 13

***Yes, I know it has been a ridiculously long time since the last update. School is keeping me nice and busy. And no, it's not as long as it could be, but I was eager to get another chapter out soon. Review please :)**

{ATTENTION ALL.}

The voice came over the intercom of the mansion, stunningly loud and very familiar.

{PLEASE DO NOT BLAME CERTAIN INNOCENT VETERANS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ARSON,} continued Master Hand, while everyone in the hallways froze and looked up. {THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE HAS BEEN DETERMINED, AND MANY SUSPICIONS HAVE BEEN PROVEN FALSE. THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIRE WILL BE SPOKEN TO. NOW PLEASE GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS AND FORGET ABOUT IT. THANK YOU.}

A collective shudder seemed to rise from the halls. A shudder of shock and anger and disbelief. Mainly, though, of shock. Snake watched as all of the Brawlers stopped midway through what they were doing. Pikachu fell off of the shelf and flattened Kirby, Yoshi stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth, a soaring Meta Knight accidentally crashed into a pillar, and Zelda stopped right in the middle of the hallway, causing four others to crash into her and topple over like dominoes. Then, slowly, all heads turned to Snake.

He tugged nervously at his collar.

"You!" hissed Wario.

"Me?" said Snake, biting the soft inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at Wario's tomato-red face.

"Yes!" Wario spat. "You - you lied to us!" His accent became more and more pronounced in his anger. "And now we all look like fools!"

Snake bit harder. He tasted blood. "Who says?" _Although you look like a fool to me, Wario, _he thought privately. _Especially with your eyes bugging out of your head like that…_He dug his fingernails into his thigh to keep from bursting into laughter.

"But Snake" - Lucas was speaking now - "didn't you say that Link did it? Why did Master Hand say to forget about it? Were you wrong?"

"Yes, I was wrong," Snake admitted. "Now, can we just do what Master Hand said and forget about it?"

"_Forget _about it?" snapped Zelda, magic sparkling at her fingertips. "You spread lies about my best friend and you expect me to _forget about it?"_

Snake backed up. He wasn't afraid of Zelda, but he didn't like to think what might happen if they fought. Everyone would join her in their favorite game - Beat Up Snake.

"I made a mistake," he pleaded.

Red, the Pokemon Trainer, stalked forward. "I feel terrible now!" he growled, lunging towards Snake, who found himself with his back against the wall. Cornered. "All along, we were shunning him for no reason. Thanks, Snake - now, he's probably going to hate me forever."

"He won't, he'll understand," Snake tried to say, but his words were drowned out by everyone shouting all at once. He had never received so many threats at one time in his life. Insults were flying in every direction, bouncing off of his skull, enough to give even Bowser a headache.

But one voice thundered out, killing all of the others.

"_Let me handle this filth."_

Ganondorf stood alone, his cape flying around in every direction. A cruel smile twisted his murderous features, making his eyes seem even colder than they already were. Snake felt his heart stutter. He may not be afraid of Zelda, but he was _definitely _afraid of Ganondorf.

The man towered over the rest of them, head slightly bent forward, teeth glistening, his entire face contorted with bitter desire. Snake was too paralyzed even to pull out his gun.

"I think that this type of lying vermin has no place in the Mansion," Ganondorf said, disconcertingly calm. The sea of Brawlers parted for him silently, making a pathway to where Snake stood, hypnotized. "So I offer up the simplest solution - killing him."

"That's a little harsh," said Zelda, holding her ground. Her face was flinchingly white. Her voice grew fainter as she went on. "I mean…he made a mistake…the evidence…was misleading…" The sentence trailed off into tense silence.

Ganondorf slowly lifted his hand, and then hit her across the face with a resounding bang.

Zelda fell to the ground, an angry red handprint covering the entire right side of her face. She lifted a trembling hand to touch her bleeding nose. There were outraged gasps, but by a single scathing look Ganondorf silenced them. He turned his sharp, hawk like gaze back onto Snake.

"I almost hate you as much as I do the third wielder of the Triforce," said Ganondorf softly. Nobody had to ask who that was. "And that's quite an accomplishment."

Snake stared at his dark gold eyes, unable to look anywhere else.

"Will death be quick?" said Ganondorf, smile disappearing. "I don't know. Hopefully not…hopefully you will be alive to watch everything ebb away in a haze of agony -"

"Stop."

It was not Snake, or even Zelda, who had spoken. It was Link.

He was standing behind Ganondorf, shaking with his own anger. Snake had never seen him so mad. His blue eyes scorched with intensity; the Triforce seared from the back of his hand.

"Leave them alone," said Link loudly, his voice echoing through the silent kitchen. Snake took advantage of the distraction to pull out his gun and aim it solidly at Ganondorf's face. But the evil king seemed only amused.

"_Now _we can call it a party," he said. "The warrior, the princess, the gunman, and the king. Like an old storybook legend, isn't it?"

Link didn't say anything. He seemed to have mastered the art of keeping himself silent in situations like this, whereas Snake could barely contain himself. He somehow managed to keep his lips tightly closed.

"_What is going on here?"_

A thundering voice that everyone recognized resounded through the room. Ganondorf immediately dropped his grandiose. The transformation was astonishing. One moment, he was a hulking creation of darkness, and the next, he was a diminished servant to the all-powerful - Master Hand. He drifted, fingers flexing erratically, taking in the scene before him. Snake saw him stiffen when he beheld the scarlet handprint on Zelda's soft cheek, and the beads of blood trailing down to darkly stain her lips.

"Well?" rumbled Master Hand's voice. It was quieter now, but Snake could sense the anger - and the exasperation - behind his words.

"Nothing," Snake offered hopefully.

Unfortunately, his weak explanation didn't seem to convince Master Hand, whose joints stiffened as if he were frowning.

"The arenas are for fighting," said Master Hand. "Not the kitchen."

"Yes, sir," said Link and Ganondorf in almost perfect unison. It was scary how in-tune they could sometimes be.

"And _you," _said Master Hand roughly, wheeling to face Ganondorf. He prodded the king in the stomach threateningly. "If you ever lay a hand on a veteran again, I will personally turn you into a cold, lifeless trophy. Do you understand me?"

Ganondorf pressed his lips together in a hard line. "Yes, sir," he nearly growled, eyes glinting. His fists were clenched so hard that they were pale.

Master Hand sighed and turned to Link. "Trouble follows you like a magnet, doesn't it?"

"Actually, sir," Snake volunteered, "I'm the one who started it."

Every eye in the room was suddenly on him. Master Hand pivoted slowly.

"I think," said Master Hand imperiously, poking him in the forehead, "that it would be best to keep the Legend of Zelda separated from Metal Gear, don't you? It makes for a very unlucky combination."

"Yes, sir," Snake said dutifully. He felt strangely small, insignificant next to the greater mass of the gloved hand. He snuck a look at Link out of the corner of his eye. Link was staring with apparently bewildered astonishment at Master Hand, his eyes dark and troubled.

Snake felt his face burning. Unlucky - yes, he was _very _unlucky, and he knew it. Everywhere he went, he seemed to end up in the middle of a conflict. And it almost always involved Link. He looked around him at the faces in the room, many of them bowed low in respect to their creator. But one face was not. As Snake focused in the familiar features of Sonic the Hedgehog, he saw that Sonic was glaring at him. The look was one of pure loathing, intense enough to send strange shivers down his spine.

"If that's all," said Master Hand. "I will be leaving. Behave yourselves."

Command weighed heavily in every syllable. He drifted away, leaving a thunderous silence in his wake. Snake wasted no time in thrusting a handful of paper towels at Zelda's face, eager to be helpful. Ganondorf cursed under his breath and stalked away. Link touched his cool fingers to the flaming surface of Zelda's cheek and drew them away again, saying softly, "You're lucky he didn't break bone. You'll have bruises, though."

Eventually, the crowd dispersed. Snake knew that at least half of them had been hoping for a good, blood-spilling fight. Only Sonic remained, still glaring murderously, and after a minute or so, he too left.

_What is _that _about? _thought Snake to himself suspiciously. But he shrugged it off. He would think about it in the morning. Things were always better in the morning.

Weren't they?


	14. Chapter 14

The next few days were strange and uncomfortable to Snake. Link was largely accepted with open arms back into the Mansion; on the other hand, Snake had a relatively cold reception. Angry whispers seemed to follow him wherever he went. This bothered him more than he thought it would. Being at the Mansion made him feel like…well…family. Like he belonged somewhere, for the first time in his life. Now that he was excluded from this group, he felt alienated and lonely. Olimar was the only one who would talk to him. Even Ike didn't deign to speak to his former best friend.

Besides Snake's rejection from the group, everything was much the same. Enemies avoided each other. Friends hung out and laughed together, and in turn, grueling battles made everyone forget their friends. Onstage, everyone was your rival. Under those heated lights, with the crowd watching from so far away, it made you forget a lot of things, including your own name. All that mattered was the strike, the kill, the knockout. The breath you took before the announcer bellowed, "GO!" The scream of your opponent, ringing through your ears like a requiem.

Snake loved it.

One match, he luckily ended up with Olimar on his side. They decided to catch a drink together after the battle was over. Sipping cool water on the front lawn of the Mansion, Snake suddenly felt a strange disquiet.

"Olimar," he said, putting down his cup.

The spaceman looked up at him, faint creases appearing on his forehead.

"What do you know about Sonic?" asked Snake.

Olimar appeared to think hard. "He's an overconfident and impatient blue hedgehog. His heart's in the right place, I believe, even though he needs to abandon his…haughtiness. Why do you ask?"

"He doesn't like me very much," Snake confessed.

Olimar rolled his eyes heavenward. "Obviously."

"You noticed?"

"Who _didn't _notice? You've got yourself a lot of enemies."

"I do not," said Snake defensively, stung. "Name them!"

"Ganondorf. Sonic. Zelda. Red. Shall I continue?"

"No," snapped Snake, taking a sip of his water. Then he stiffened. "You forgot Link."

Olimar, however, was shaking his head at such childish folly. "Link's not your enemy."

"How?" Snake demanded. "We've fought."

"Everyone fights here."

"I mean _real _fighting. Like, outside of the arena."

"That's still not unusual."

"We called each other names."

"Did you, now?"

Snake paused and amended, "Well, _I _called _him _names."

"Unsurprising," said Olimar, bobbing his head.

Once again, Snake was baffled by his logic. He narrowed his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Link is a civilized person. You're…" Olimar trailed off, clearly thinking fast. "…Impulsive, I guess, is the word. That's not exactly a bad thing, though," he added hastily, upon seeing the mutinous expression on Snake's face.

Nothing but deep affection for Olimar could stop Snake from blurting out a counter to this statement. He took a deep breath and tried to look at himself from a different perspective. _Unlucky, _Master Hand had called him. But he wasn't unlucky. He was _impulsive. _He was _heedless. _And that was the real cause of the trouble he always found himself in.

Instead of voicing his thoughts, Snake said waspishly, "I fail to see how Link is civilized."

"That's because you see him as a rival," said Olimar, "even after it was proved that he was innocent. Some people are born to hate each other, even if there isn't a good reason for it. I suppose you two are a perfect example."

"I fail to see how Link is civilized," Snake repeated, ignoring this.

Olimar sighed, massaging the little bit of his neck that he could reach under his helmet. "He's a very good person, Snake."

"And I'm not?"

"I never said that," said Olimar slowly. "You're…a reckless, daring kind of person. You're a good person, but you're not…you're not…_born _to it."

Snake looked at him questioningly.

"Link is polite because he was brought up that way," said Olimar wisely. "I mean, he may have had a….erm…colorful life, but that doesn't seem to change anything. You, Snake…" He paused, as if trying to choose the least offensive words to use. "You were raised kind of…_roughly."_

"Raised?" snapped Snake. "I wasn't 'raised' at all!" He didn't realize it, but he was shouting. "What makes you think you know anything about _my _past?"

"Snake," said Olimar flatly. "This is exactly what I was talking about. You flare up too easy."

Snake slumped back on the grass, embarrassed. "Great. Wonderful. And Link's the perfect little gentleman, isn't he?"

"No," said Olimar shortly. "Everyone gets touchy about some things."

"Hmm," Snake harrumphed. He wondered why Olimar was telling him all of this. Maybe the guy just liked to talk about feelings. It was dancing on the edge of 'awkward'.

"You still like Samus?" asked Olimar suddenly.

Snake jumped to his feet, eyes flashing. "When the hell did I ever tell you that?"

"Whoa, take it down a notch," said Olimar. "Ike told me."

"_Ike told -"_

"Yes, he did." Olimar's voice, always so serene, had taken on a serrated edge. "And I don't think that's a federal crime, so can you _please _stop jumping down my throat?"

Snake slowly sat down.

"Yeah, I do," he said forlornly. "But she doesn't like me…so I don't know why I don't just give it up already."

Olimar shrugged and picked up his cup of water. He carefully retracted his arm, still clutching the cup, into his spacesuit and wriggled his arm out of his sleeve. The sleeve dangled like an extra limb, lifeless. Olimar's pale arm then appeared inside of his helmet, where he carefully took a long draught of water and then slid his arm back into his sleeve, holding the empty cup. Snake watched in utter fascination.

"Is that hard?" he asked, knowing that he would not have the patience to do it with everything he ate or drank.

Olimar shrugged his soft shoulders. "Not really."

"Why can't you take off your helmet?"

"Oxygen is poisonous to my race."

"That's weird," said Snake without thinking. Then he added apologetically, "Er…I didn't mean _weird. _I meant…it's different."

"I know what you meant," said Olimar solicitously. "It's okay, Snake."

They sat there quietly for another minute or so, and finally Olimar murmured that he had to go and check on his Pikmin. Snake sat there alone.

His thoughts strayed. They landed on Zelda.

He had better apologize. Snake felt like he had done nothing but apologize for the past two weeks, and yet it had done nothing but worsen the situation. Everything he said came out wrong and twisted. He was better off being a mute.

His thoughts were interrupted by a tiny but forlorn, "Pika."

Snake spun around. Staring sadly at him was Pikachu, the mouse Pokemon who was among the first to comfort Link after the disastrous fire. Pikachu's ears were drooping.

"What's the matter?" asked Snake, but he was thinking, _I really don't care._

Pikachu's ears twitched. Its black eyes were round with pity.

"Don't worry about me," said Snake. "I'm…fine." _I'm also a liar. _"Why don't you go back inside?"

Pikachu held up one yellow-furred foot. Buried deep its soft flesh was a dark thorn. The Pokemon tried vigorously to pull it out, but its tiny paws were next to useless.

"Pika," it said softly. Asking for his help.

Now Snake was irritated. "Look. Just go ask Zelda to do it. See her? She's in the yard with Ike. Don't girls like to help cute little creatures? They have a knack for it." Snake narrowed his eyes. "Besides, don't girls fawn over you anyway? You're lucky. They all hate me. Wish I was you."

Pikachu looked primarily livid and partially confused. It laid its ears flat on its head - a sure sign of anger. "Pikachuu," it nearly growled.

"What?" Snake demanded. "What did I say?"

Pikachu rolled its eyes and deftly plucked a wildflower from the lawn. It put the flower on its head, behind one of its ears. _"Pika."_

"You…have a flower?" said Snake. _This is so dumb, _he thought. _This is what you get for trying to reason with a Pokemon. Pure nonsense._

Pikachu stared at him like he was an idiot.

Suddenly, it hit him like a well-delivered kick to the guts. "Oh," he said. "You're…a girl."

Pikachu nodded happily and tossed the flower to the ground. Then she gestured once more to her foot, where the thorn was clearly paining her.

"Pika," she said, and Snake could imagine her saying _'Good God, just pull the thorn out, you imbecile.'_

"Okay, fine," said Snake. "But it's going to hurt, so don't bite me."

He awkwardly grasped the foot with one hand and lightly touched the thorn with the other. Pikachu flinched, but didn't make a sound. Snake experimentally gave it a little tug. This time, a high-pitched squeal slipped through Pikachu's lips before she could stop herself.

"Sorry," muttered Snake.

He grabbed the thorn again and yanked it as fast and as hard as he could. The next thing he knew, the world went white and pain came crashing down on him, vibrating through his skull and every bone in his body. Electric shocks wracked through every muscle and nerve, ripping through his veins, flinchingly hot.

It stopped, and Snake fell back on the grass, echoes of the electrocution screaming through his mind. He finally came to his senses.

"What was that for?" he yelled.

Pikachu glared at him balefully, and then turned away, defiant.

"Look," said Snake weakly, holding up the thorn. "It's out. You better apologize for shocking me."

Pikachu looked slightly abashed, but not much. She twitched one ear and said apologetically, "Pika pi."

"It's okay," said Snake. "Oh, look -" He bent over her foot. It was bleeding profusely. "We should probably find you a bandage."

Quickly, he took off and found Peach's supply of bandages. He rummaged through them until he found one the size of the wound. He hurried back outside and carefully, ever so carefully, wrapped it around her foot.

"There," he said. "That should do it. I'm no Peach, but this looks okay."

The bandage was clumsy, awkward, and it was quickly stained crimson, but it worked. Pikachu gave him a friendly nuzzle and bounded away.

"I saw that," said a voice behind him. Snake turned around and saw Zelda standing there, her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised.

"Oh," said Snake. He didn't know what else to say.

"You helped her," said Zelda expressionlessly. "How unlike you."

Snake felt a surge of anger. "I wouldn't just let her walk around all hurt like that. You don't know me at all, so I don't know why you're making assumptions."

Zelda's face remained carefully blank and mask like. "If you say so."

For some unfathomable reason, this pissed Snake off to no end. "Look," he growled, "I said I was sorry for the whole fire thing, so can we just forget about it? Please? Start fresh?"

"Okay, fine," said Zelda, still emotionless. "But I wasn't going to hold that against you anymore. I actually came over here to say that I forgive you."

"I - really?" The defensive response that Snake was preparing died on his lips. He stared at her, and as he did, he noticed the yellowish bruises decorating her pale cheeks, like little sunlit flowers, spreading over her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose, and barely brushing her lips. Snake stared at her thin, translucent lips, her smooth skin, her arcing eyebrows, memorizing her face.

Zelda self-consciously lifted up her chin. "Yes, of course." Her fingers darted up to touch the bruise, and she winced.

Snake automatically reached out his hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Zelda. She was just as much of a liar as he was. "Anyway, Snake…see you later."

She stumbled a little on the hem of dress, snatching Snake's arm to stop herself from falling. She reddened, let go of him, and quickly marched away, her hair streaming in the wind.

Perhaps it was the strangeness of that day, or dizziness from the fight, or maybe even exultation from being forgiven, but Snake realized after she was gone that the place on his arm where her hand had touched, was burning.


	15. Chapter 15

*** Hi Reviewers. Sorry *again* about the long wait, I was briefly grounded from my laptop (UGHHH) and it almost killed me, I think. NO, I'M NOT ADDICTED (okay, maybe a little...). Oh! I almost forgot! How would one submit new documents if the 15 limit on documents in Document Manager has been reached?**

**Answers to the above questions would be appreciated but are not required or anything. I don't know how I'd upload more chapters of Unweave if I can't get it to work though...**

**Anyway! Enough banter. Please read and review :)**

Mealtime. One of his least favorite times of the day.

Snake sat alone at his usual empty table, playing experimentally with his food as he glared at the back of Diddy Kong's head. Olimar had abandoned him to go pluck Pikmin from the forest, and Pikachu, his newly made friend, was nowhere to be seen. But he didn't particularly mind sitting alone. It was something you got used to, until you barely noticed it.

He glanced over the table where Samus, Zelda, Red, and Link were all sitting. They were laughing and talking - enjoying their own little sunny island. Zelda was talking animatedly to Red, her cheeks flushed burgundy in her excitement. Samus was quietly hanging back, a barrier of silence and cold dignity surrounding her absolutely, like an invisible wall. Link was talking to his fluttery fairy thing, and she was orbiting his head, glowing fiercely in response to his words.

Snake stared at them a while longer. There was something strangely attractive to the sight, something that he was drawn to. Perhaps it was the always-happy emotional climate, which Snake could never get enough of. He was focusing so hard on absorbing it, trying to catch that elusive piece of joy for himself, that he almost had a heart attack when someone called his name.

"Snake! Hey!"

He spun around. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't quite place…

Ah.

Sonic the Hedgehog stood there. The murderous, loathing expression from earlier in the week had vanished.

"Yeah?" said Snake, a little more harshly than he intended.

"Hi," said Sonic brightly. He clearly wasn't shy. "I'm having a party later, and almost everyone is invited. Even you."

_A party? _Well, this day was going better than expected.

"Okay," said Snake. "Where is it?"

"Down by the forest," said Sonic. "Around five o'clock."

Snake opened his mouth to confirm his attendance, when he remembered his schedule. "I can't. At five I'm battling Game and Watch."

"Well, cancel!" said Sonic impatiently. "I didn't invite Game and Watch, anyway. The last time he came to a party, he got drunk and insulted Jigglypuff's singing…and…you can imagine what happened."

They both cringed at the mental image of Jigglypuff's wrath.

"So, are you coming or what?" Sonic's voice had a weird edge to it, but Snake hadn't time to contemplate this.

"Sure," he said. "See you at five."

Around four forty five, Snake strolled out the door with an air of self-importance. He was going to a party…a real party. In his old life, before Brawl, there was no time for light-hearted activities. Now, he felt accomplished.

He had just passed the prototype stages and could see the edge of the forest. There was nobody there. He squinted, trying to make out the rough terrain. There was definitely not a soul in sight - not even a single straggly party balloon. The pit of his stomach was beginning to feel rather hollow.

"…seems nice enough, never talked to him before."

Snake felt a jolt of sharp relief when he heard voices drifting in the breeze. Link and Zelda were walking along the edge, having been obscured before by the thick vegetation. Enemy or not, Snake was glad to see _anyone. _He broke into a run and cut in front of the startled pair.

"I-Is this where the p-party is?" Snake panted, clutching at his stomach.

The two looked at each other.

"Yeah, I think so," Zelda offered helpfully. "At least, that's what Sonic told us…right, Link?"

Link murmured his agreement. Recently, him and Snake had been regarding each other with as little importance as pieces of furniture.

"Okay!" Zelda chirruped, completely oblivious to their awkward silence. "Then we must be here. I guess nobody else has come yet…"

She glanced worriedly into the sky, where the sun was nearing the horizon. It was five o'clock.

"I don't know Sonic very well," Snake said suddenly. "How is he?"

Link met his eyes, and Snake was surprised to see a bit of warmth in them. Perhaps a truce was in the future. "I'm not certain, but it seems like he's decent."

The fairy-thing on his shoulder squeaked something that was so high-pitched Snake couldn't make it out. It buzzed around Link's head, crashing multiple times into his hat. Link finally swatted at it with a sharp command in another language, and the fairy disappeared with a guilty squeal.

"Firefly from hell," muttered Link.

Zelda was tugging on his arm. "Maybe we should go into the forest? I heard some voices earlier. Maybe we're in the wrong place."

Link narrowed his eyes. "I doubt it, but we could check."

The three of them trudged off into the forest. As darkness threatened to drape over the forest, even Zelda's sunny disposition was dampened. With the evening brought a subtle, but almost tangible gloom, so heavy that Snake felt himself weighed down with it. He blindly moved his feet, heavily breaking through the thickets.

"Maybe," Link said after about fifteen minutes, "we should go back."

Snake full-heartedly agreed with this suggestion, but unfortunately, Zelda didn't.

"No," she snapped. "We have to keep going…I _know _I heard someone!"

"It's well after five," Snake pointed after. "It's almost six. Maybe he meant for the party to be tomorrow, but we misheard…or something."

"No," said Zelda stubbornly. Link sighed.

They continued on for another ten minutes, and finally broke out of the dense, fragrant bushes and into the same beautiful clearing that Snake had uncovered before. To his surprise, there were a few meager party lights draped over a large, shed-styled building - a new addition.

Snake frowned. The building hadn't been there before. It was as big as a bedroom, able to fit at least five or six Donkey Kongs. It was a shabby, pitiful thing, hastily thrown together as a last-minute project. And leaning against it was Sonic.

"About time you guys came," he said, but his tone was teasing. "The others are inside already."

Snake eyed the shack speculatively, picturing all of the Brawlers comically crammed inside. A quick at Link and Zelda showed that they, too, were having misgivings.

"You said, 'Down by the forest,'" said Snake.

"Did I?" Sonic scratched his head, and then shrugged. "Huh. That's weird. Sorry, I guess I was really tired or something."

He looked at them with bland innocence until Snake's suspicions fell away. Snake took a step forward, gesturing towards the tumbledown shack. The walls appeared to be made of solid concrete - which was rather odd.

"Go in," said Sonic with a small laugh. "It's a lot bigger on the inside than it is on the outside."

Snake took another step. Neither Link nor Zelda moved. An invisible pressure seemed to be on his chest. Cold sweat broke out on his skin. Something was terribly wrong - what _was _it?

"Not everyone is here," Sonic prompted him. "Go on…all of you…I want you to see the inside. I made it with some help from Ganondorf."

Sonic was beaming now with pride. At the sound of Ganondorf's name, Snake felt all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. But he couldn't disappoint the hopeful hedgehog, no matter who had assisted him. So slowly, with Link and Zelda keeping so close behind him that he could hear their quiet breathing, he wandered up the entrance of the shack and entered. It was dimly lit inside, and much roomier than he expected. A single bulb dangled from the ceiling; that was the only decoration. The rest of the room ached over its own white bareness. Olimar and Pikachu were already inside, examining the room with great interest. Pikachu in particular was having a lot of fun running in and out of the small flapping dog door in the back of the room.

Something about the room gave Snake chills.

"You're having the party here?" asked Snake dubiously.

Sonic nodded, grinning. He ushered Link and Zelda into the room. Then, at last, when they were all in, the strangest look crossed his face. It was look of utmost horror. Then he composed himself, eyes going curiously blank, and slammed shut the door. And locked it.

"I'll be right back!" they heard him faintly calling through the thick concrete. Then there was nothing but silence.

Pikachu stopped and pricked up her ears curiously. "Pika?"

"That's right," said Snake miserably. "He locked us in here for now. So I guess we all get to enjoy each other's wonderful company."

God, he loved sarcasm.

Zelda walked over to the door and gave it an experimental pull. Nothing happened. They truly were locked in.

"Something is wrong," said Olimar sagely. "The look on his face before he locked the door…was disturbing."

Snake again felt the chills that he had first experienced when walking inside.

"There's no party," he said slowly. "So why are we…all of us…locked up in a shed…in the middle of a forest…with the host gone…no key to the door…and no food?"

Nobody had a response.

"Alright, Sonic," called Link. "If this is a practical joke of some sort, you can cut it out now."

No answer.

"Let us out!"

No answer.

"Let me try," said Snake. He stuck his head into the dog door, blinking, and yelled as loud as he could, "GET US OUT OF THE GODDAMN SHED OR I'LL MURDER YOU, YOU PATHETIC BLUE PORCUPINE!"

No answer.

"SONIC!"

No answer.

"Ow, Snake," said Link, uncomfortably massaging his sensitive ears. "Could you _be _any louder?"

"Sorry," Snake said, but it was more for Zelda's benefit. "Just trying to help…"

"Well, he's certainly not coming back now that you've blatantly insulted him," said Olimar, peering through the flap, too. "Pikachu, you're small enough…perhaps you should run and get someone to unlock the door…"

Pikachu mewled her agreement, but before she could do anything, Sonic's voice drifted through the ceiling, smug and strangely detached at the same time. It was dripping with his triumph, his sweet, horrible triumph, grating against the end of Snake's frayed rope of patience.

"You're not going anywhere," the voice said coldly. Snake imagined Sonic's smile, wide and gleaming, glistening, a masquerade of diplomacy…and it didn't quite match up to this icy, monotonous voice that he heard now. But it was still undeniably Sonic's voice, leeched colorless by some unknown element…

"What do you mean?" asked Zelda fearfully. Electricity crackled at Pikachu's cheeks. Her lips were drawn back over her sharp teeth in a snarl. There was an intense silence, punctuated by their quick, sharpened breaths - and then - in the complete silence -

"DAMN IT!" screamed Link, so loudly that they all jumped.

It took a second for Snake's heart to restart. Link had reached back for his sword and found that it was not there - nor his shield. Snake quickly grapped at his utility belt and found that it, as well, was empty. They had been robbed of their weapons, presumably when they were entering the shack. Sonic was so fast and nimble that he could pull it off.

"Yes, they're gone," said Sonic flatly. "And as for the rest of you, those walls are made of the same material as the stages…they can't be broken by _any _kind of attack."

"Why are we here?" asked Olimar, his tiny black eyes round as quarters.

"Oh, that's simple," said Sonic. Still in that same, weird, calm state. "By your very existence…you have angered the most powerful Brawler that ever lived. And now you're paying for it.

"I'd give you the whole monologue now, but I have better things to do than talk to you. But I'd just like to make it known that you are now my prisoners. Bombs have been planted beneath this structure. This is not a stage - if they go off, you _will _die, and you _won't _be revived and carried back up.

"So I guess you have no choice than to listen to me, huh?"

They were all perfectly still, like statues. In the corner of his eye, Snake saw that a heavy object had been placed to cover up the dog door, eliminating their last hope.

"Let me just ask one thing - that nobody tries something stupid and heroic, okay? I know that some of you are pretty good at that. There will be other rules, of course, but I'll let you rest a bit before giving them to you." There was a pause. "Believe me, I'm much too tired to put up with noble idiocy. So no escape attempts, please. They give me a headache. Well…that's all. Have fun."

And Snake imagined that he was smiling.


	16. Chapter 16

***Hi everyone! Yet again, it's been a LOOONG time since the last update. Schoolwork, Forensics, and the distracting magic of Brawl Online have been factors in the gap between updates -.- But here it is, and I have all of Thanksgiving break to conjure up another chapter, so it won't be long of a wait! **

**Please review :^)**

An hour passed sluggishly, lurching by in strange, choppy intervals. All five of the Brawlers were restlessly pacing and talking amongst themselves, trying desperately to figure out what misfortune had befallen them. Weaponless, vulnerable, and afraid, Snake felt naked and exposed in this cramped shack. He had tried everything - oh, yes - banging on the walls, kicking at the door, and screaming for help - but nothing worked. There was nobody to hear them. No way out.

Zelda wasn't crying, exactly, but her face was flinchingly pale and her eyes were bloodshot. She was sitting huddled down with Pikachu in her lap, petting her soft yellow fur as if drawing comfort from its warmth. She had tried to use all of her attacks to break down the walls and the door, but nothing worked. Olimar could not even pluck a Pikmin from the cold stage-crafted ground.

So Link and Snake, both feeling as useless as paper, paced the perimeters of the room and tested for any weaknesses. Unsurprisingly, there were none.

It wasn't long before Sonic returned, and his voice came as clearly as if he were standing beside him.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?"

Snake reached for his gun, realized for the second time that it was not there, cussed, and let his hands fall to his sides again. Pikachu darted out from Zelda's arms and pressed herself into a dark corner of the room, quivering like a startled rabbit.

"Rest easy," said Sonic. "Just do what I say, and none of you will be hurt." He paused, relishing in the pregnant silence, and then continued on loftily, "You already know that there are bombs under the floor, ready to kill you at a moment's notice."

"Why are you doing this?" sobbed Zelda, shaking now with real tears.

Sonic's voice was flat, unsympathetic. "It's not my decision, Your Highness."

"Then - then whose? Please! We can help you - if - if you're b-being blackmailed -"

"That's not it!" Sonic snarled. "None of you understand! You never will!"

His words fell into more ringing silence.

"I p-promise we w-won't t-t-tell anyone -" Zelda began, but Link cut across her, whispering, "Be quiet, Zelda."

"Here are the rules," said Sonic delicately. "And you better listen closely, because if you break them, it will be the death penalty."

And everyone listened. Because if there was one thing more dangerous than a madman, it was a madman who believed what he was saying, to the point where he would die for it.

"I have ways of hearing you," said Sonic. "So if you start _scheming, _I will know about it. And the bomb will be triggered. So absolutely no talking, unless I demand you to."

A single tear ran down Zelda's cheek.

"Secondly," Sonic said, "No moving around. I have ways of knowing that, too. I am to keep you here until _he _arrives, and then he will set off the bomb himself. I know he's been longing to do it for so long."

"He?" asked Snake, forgetting for a moment that they were not supposed to speak. "Who is _he?"_

For a heartstopping second, he thought that he had ruined everything. But there was no explosion. Sonic merely said lazily, "Oh, you'll know him when you see him. He'll be the last thing you see."

They sat against the walls, all of them, at Sonic's instruction. Totally silent. Totally still. Like statues, just waiting for their death.

Link's low whisper shattered the silence. It seemed shocked, for some reason. "Snake!"

Snake lifted his head from where it had been dejectedly hanging. "What?"

"You have on your codec."

The boy was right. Snake reached up in amazement to touch his temple, and found the familiar shape of the codec. He couldn't believe that Sonic had missed it.

"Contact your people!" Link whispered.

"I don't have a signal," Snake said.

"You have to wait for a signal? From who?" asked Link, not understanding. Of course he wouldn't. Hyrule had nothing electrical, and the Mansion didn't have any devices that he would have to use.

"My….erm…power source is weak here," said Snake, trying to put it in terms he'd understand. "It has to reach a long way, remember?"

Then he remembered.

"Wait! I left one extra pair with the Ice Climbers! They wanted to borrow it for hide and go seek or something, so I let them. I might be able to contact them."

Link looked at him like he was an idiot. "So…what's stopping you?"

"The sound would be all soft," said Snake. "It's my bad pair. You have to practically shout to make yourself heard."

"Who's talking?" demanded Sonic's voice from overhead. A hush fell over the trapped Brawlers immediately.

"That's what I thought."

His voice faded out.

Link made a small motion with his hand. Clearly he wanted to have the codec. Snake flipped it on, connected to the other pair, and flung it quickly at Link, who caught it with one hand. He pressed his lips close to the mouthpiece, almost like he was kissing it, and whispered softly, "Can anyone hear me?"

There was a lot of loud static, and after several lifetimes piled up on top of each other, there was the sound of giggling.

"Ouch! No, Popo, get off! It's mine!"

The children's voices shattered the cold silence of the room, their cheery tones defying the dark atmosphere. Loud. Much, much too loud.

"Shhh!" Link whispered. "Nana, Popo, can you hear me?"

There was a heart-stopping pause, and then: "Hello? Who is this? Snake?"

"Speak softer," said Link. "It's Link."

There was more nonsensical giggling, and Nana's voice said brightly, "Hi, Link!"

"_Shh! _Nana, could you please give the codec to Master Hand?"

"Oh," said Nana soberly. "Sorry. He left."

Link's voice had taken on a slightly serrated edge. "What do you mean, he _left?"_

"Well, it started when Lucas knocked over his plate on the ground. Peach got mad and yelled at him, so he started to cry, and then Captain Falcon started yelling at her for making him cry, and then Peach got mad and started to yell louder, which made Lucario stop meditating and break a window, and then a shard hit King Dedede in the side of the head, so he started swinging his mallet everywhere, and people were screaming and things were getting broken, and then Master Hand took one look, got fed up, and left."

"I helped smash things," admitted Popo sheepishly.

"We need him," whispered Link. "Badly. Nana, Popo, I want you to know that we are all in very grave danger at present. We're deep in the forest, in a shack, and we're in danger of being blown up at any moment. This is our only communication. Do you understand that?"

Silence. And then -

"Yes," said Nana quietly.

"Nana," said Link, "could you please tell me if Ganondorf is there, in the mansion?"

"He is."

"Could I speak with him, please?"

Zelda's mouth fell open in astonishment.

"Um…yeah. Sure," said Nana, after hesitating for a moment. "Um…okay. One sec."

"Are you suicidal?" Zelda demanded in a whisper as they waited for Nana's return, stroking a trembling Pikachu. "Crazy? Both?"

"Probably," said Link under his breath.

In a minute or two, a voice that was gratingly familiar greeted them on the other end of the codec, in harsh contrast to Nana's soft, tinkling voice.

"Who is this?" demanded Ganondorf.

Link visibly steeled himself. "It's me."

There was about a heartbeat of silence, and then Ganondorf began to speak in a language that Snake didn't recognize. The language was smooth and beautiful, but spewing from Ganondorf's mouth, the words sounded ugly and wreathed with dark meaning.

Link answered back in the same language, speaking quickly and so quietly that Snake could barely hear him. After a minute or so of speaking, his voice started to rise in agitation.

They talked back and forth for a while, still in the same fluid language, and finally Link narrowed his eyes and snapped something out.

Ganondorf answered with a harsh laugh, said something that made both Link and Zelda go pale, and then the connection went dead.

"Well," said Snake impatiently. "What was that all about?"

Link stared at his knees as though afraid to answer. Then, haltingly, he said, "I challenged him. I thought that if I did so, he would give in to his theatrical side and arrive for a…_duel." _

"And then he would have to break through the door to get in here," Zelda said quietly.

Snake could easily picture Ganondorf's thick fist destroying the door.

"Yes," said Link, looking up at her. "And since Sonic is mainly focuses on the inside of this miserable shack, he wouldn't see Ganondorf coming until it was too late. We could escape in the distraction."

Olimar twisted his pale head around, sweat glistening on his forehead. The perky antenna protruding from the top of his helmet was drooping like a wilted, waterless daisy.

"And how would we escape from _Ganondorf?" _he asked sardonically.

Link was silent.

"Well?"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead yet," he admitted. "I figured I could deal with that when the time came."

"Great plan," muttered Olimar, unusually bad-tempered.

"Cut it out," Snake snapped. He, too, was reaching a breaking point. "At least he's trying!"

"Trying isn't good enough," said Link inconsolably, wrenching the codec off of his head and throwing it to Snake. "It didn't even work. He laughed and said, 'Oh, I'll come, but it won't be in the way you expect. Until that glorious day, why don't you try to enjoy Sonic's lovely company?'"

It was silent while the group mulled this over.

"You didn't tell him anything about Sonic, did you?" asked Snake tentatively.

:Link blinked. "No. I said nothing of Sonic or our…predicament. He must be on Sonic's side, then. But it doesn't make sense…"

"What doesn't make sense?"

"That Sonic would do something like this. He never struck me as…black hearted."

"He was giving me weird looks last week," said Snake.

"Shut up!" snapped Zelda suddenly. Everybody fell silent immediately. There was a faint, barely noticeable crackling of hidden speakers. Snake realized what Zelda had already known - that Sonic had left for a short period of time, and had only just returned. He hadn't caught them scheming.

They were safe, for now.

But time was running out.


	17. Chapter 17

***Can't express how sorry I am that I didn't get this uploaded earlier. Things have been kind of crazy, there's been a death in my family, unfortunately, and Writer's Block has also been a big contributor. But there's really no excuse; I've also been putting it off. Please review :) Please? And I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

In that small, indestructible shed, you could hear every little sound; the melodies of ordinary white noise that you never quite noticed before. The rustling of Zelda's silky hair, the faint, barely audible crackle of static electricity in Pikachu's fur, even the songbirds outside, singing a perky tune simply to mock them.

As Snake sat there, drowning in self-pity and bemoaning what would soon happen, he began to notice the habits of the other Brawlers. How sad it was, getting to know each other in complete silence, trapped in a hellhole, on tenterhooks for death.

He noticed how Pikachu was laying close to the codec, and every once in a while, a thin, trembling tongue of electricity would flash between them. Olimar kept patting the ground around him, as if looking for his dear friends, the Pikmin. Link would often absently rub the back of his hand, where the Triforce was branded, or move his lips in silent prayer to gods and goddesses unknown. And Zelda…

Snake leaned forward a little. He had never really had a decent conversation with her - and now, suddenly, he wanted to know everything about her. Her favorite color, who her parents were, what it was like ruling a kingdom…every little detail that made up the slender, somber-faced girl sitting in that tiny room.

She looked up suddenly, catching him staring. Snake looked quickly at his feet. He was aware of her bewildered gaze on his head for a few moments, before she closed her eyes again and tried to sleep.

He shook himself. There wasn't time…he had to keep thinking up ways to get out…

But they had nothing to work with. There was _no way out. _Sonic was watching them every second, probably trading shifts with someone else - _who? _Snake wondered. _Is it someone I know? Someone who has talked to me, maybe been my friend? _His thoughts strayed to Ike, and he felt another twinge of guilt and a wave of depression. He would never get the chance to make up with his best friend. Probably Ike thought he was off somewhere, sulking, being typical stupid, self-absorbed Snake.

_Wish he could see me now, _thought Snake. _Maybe he's thinking about me. Maybe everyone's wondering where we are. Maybe Lucario can hear my thoughts…_ He closed his eyes and tried to send silent messages for help to anyone who would listen, but he felt stupid and stopped.

_There has to be a way out._

_There's always a way out._

Then he saw it.

Scanning the room for what may be the hundredth time, he noticed the tiny nick in the wall - right next to where Olimar was sitting.

Snake stared at the small hole, thinking that there was no way in hell anything bigger than a Pokeball could fit through. It wasn't a hole, precisely - it was more like a gap. A place where the walls didn't quite fit together. Well, it was good to know that they wouldn't suffocate. Starvation was another thing entirely.

Snake stiffened, his breaths coming quicker. _It was big enough for a Pikmin to go through._

All Olimar had to do was reach back, put his hand on the ground, and conjure up a Pikmin. Just one was needed. All the creature had to do was unlock the door…

_Dammit, _thought Snake. That probably wouldn't work. Who knew what kind of fancy lock Sonic used? But it was a start. The Pikmin could find someone at the Mansion and bring them back. Or find Sonic.

But how would he alert Olimar? He clearly hadn't noticed the gap. And they couldn't speak to each other. Body language was his best bet.

Snake half-lifted his arm, pretending the scratch his temple. Nobody moved a muscle; nobody even acknowledged his movement as significant. Snake did it again, this time attempting it a little more wildly. Zelda opened her eyes.

She met his gaze.

"Olimar," Snake mouthed, flicking his head towards the sleeping spaceman. "Get Olimar."

Zelda mouthed back, "How?"

Snake shrugged.

"I have an idea," Zelda mouthed. She nudged Pikachu, who awoke with a start. She whispered something delicately into Pikachu's ear. The next moment, Pikachu had sent a barely noticeable shiver of electricity bouncing along the floor. When it collided, Olimar jerked awake so violently that Snake was afraid Sonic had noticed, but there was no response from above.

Zelda and Pikachu both looked at Snake. Olimar followed their gaze, looking confused but willing to listen.

"Look to your left," Snake mouthed, but apparently his lips weren't clear enough. Olimar raised an eyebrow, more puzzled than before. Snake pantomimed looking over his left shoulder.

Olimar finally seemed to catch on. Slowly, he turned his left - and stared in surprise at the gap.

"Pikmin," whispered Snake, making a plucking motion with his hand.

Olimar gave him a curt look that said, _What is a Pikmin supposed to do?_

"Find Sonic," mouthed Snake, trying to shape the words as precisely as he could. "Cut cords." He had hoped that the Pikmin would be able to disconnect a few wires, and perhaps cut off the video and audio for Sonic, buying them time to escape.

Olimar nodded once to show his understanding, and slid his tiny arm through the gap. A thin, contented smile slid over his face. He relished in the feel of cold earth, and began to pull. Half a second later, a wriggling white object was visible through the hole. Earthy, damp, and alive - it was a shrunken Pikmin, as squirmy as a bloodless white worm.

Olimar didn't stop there. A second Pikmin was pulled, and a third. He inclined his head, whispering something. The Pikmin, gurgling happily, disappeared.

All they could do now was wait.

It was maybe half an hour later when they received news. A blue Pikmin had returned to whisper in Olimar's ear.

A moment later, Olimar shouted, "NOW!"

The effect was instantaneous. Zelda smacked Link in the arm to wake him up, and they all leapt to their feet. They had so little time - a minute at the most. Sixty seconds to get out, or it would all be over.

"What's happening?" Link wanted to know.

"No time!" said Snake breathlessly. "Get to the dog door!"

They raced to the dog door, all of them, but a heavy crate had been placed against it, blocking the flap. Without pausing to think, Snake braced his entire body against it and shoved. A thin chill was crawling down his back. Every muscle, every pore in his body was saying, _GET OUT! GET OUT!_

Thirty seconds.

"_Move!"_ screamed Zelda, shoving him, hard, out of the way. Fire sprang from her fingertips and traveled in a dense orb to the crate. There was a splintering explosion; the crate had been blown to pieces. Pikachu darted out to safety.

But as for the rest of them…

_Will we fit? _wondered Snake, staring at the tiny dog door.

"Hurry up!" snarled Link, shoving Olimar towards the dog door.

Sparing them one sorrowful, apologetic look, Olimar clambered through. He was safe. Two of them, at least, would make it out of this alive. But as for the humanoid Brawlers, they were still stuck inside the shed. Any moment now, Sonic would kill the Pikmin and reconnect whatever had been disconnected, and Solid Snake would shake hands with that elusive great finality - death.

"Zelda, go," said Link.

Zelda, taking the form of Sheik now, somehow managed to crawl through, being slim and flexible as she was.

Snake and Link looked at each other.

"Goodbye," said Snake, knowing that there was no time. He was going to die. His heartbeat kicked up with the horrific truth of that statement, hammering against his ribs; sweat coated his body with its icy sheen.

"Save your goodbyes," growled Link.

Snake shrugged. How calm he was, even at the brink of his own destruction! He gestured to the dog door. "Get out of here."

Link looked as if he were going to say something, but he stopped, got on his knees and slithered through. He barely managed the task, even though he was leaner than Snake.

Snake wasted no time in throwing himself down upon the ground. He clawed at the door, ripping out nearly all of his fingernails in the process, blood streaming down his knuckles. He tore at the frame and struggled until sweat blinded him. He lunged out once, twice. The dog door groaned. It broke off of the wall in a burst of bolts and shattered plastic and Snake propelled himself forward, running on empty, running out of time, running out of breath. He ran.

"SNAKE!" someone screamed.

There they were…so far away. Snake ran, his legs searing with their protest, and finally reached them. Simultaneously, they all looked back at the shed, waiting for something to happen.

"Olimar," said Snake, turning. He was aware of how crazed he sounded, but he hardly cared.

"What?"

"There's a Pikmin still in there," said Snake. "A blue one. I think it's confused. It doesn't know where to go."

"It's too late, Snake…" said Olimar, shaking his head, looking at him with pity.

"I'm going back in," said Snake.

"No," Zelda protested, lurching forward, looking unsteady on her feet. "Snake! Don't!"

Link put a hand on his arm. "You'll die."

Snake looked at him. Really looked at him, for the first time in what seemed like forever. Truly, he was a good kid. How could he have been so blind? He wanted to make a speech, or another apology. _Something _to show that he wasn't a cold-hearted bastard, but all he could say was, "I know."

"It's just a Pikmin," pleaded Zelda. God, she was beautiful. Snake longed to touch her soft skin.

_It's just a Pikmin. _Her voice echoed hauntingly in his head. Was it worth dying over a Pikmin, a creature that would die in a few weeks anyway?

Olimar's words came back to him from lifetimes ago.

_It's not my forgiveness you need. It's hers._

Snake wanted to say something brave and heroic and touching. He wanted to say goodbye. But his brain disconnected from his body, and he started sprinting back towards the shed.

Every step felt like a heartbeat. Numbered. Words assaulted his skull, dredged up by his racing thoughts, all of those tangled-together memories he had shoved to the back of his mind.

_Just do what _you _want - that's all you care about, anyway._

He felt like he was sliding backwards on a conveyor belt. Going nowhere.

_I doubt you would care about who you hurt or what you did, as long as whoever made you mad…_

…_paid the price…_

He ran harder, kicking up dust.

_You and I, we're alike, Snake._

_We're one-way flights._

Link's gaze, burning into him.

_You'll die._

Zelda's arm, touching his.

_I know._

A strange, burning energy seemed to surge through him. Snake hurled himself at the jagged hole in the wall, ignoring the splinters of wood digging in his skin from the destroyed crate, and went inside. The entire shed waited for the detonation - he could feel it tingling in the air. It was preparing itself.

The crawling dread was so disgusting that he wanted to scream aloud. But instead, he focused on finding the blue Pikmin, He swiveled his head in all directions. It had to be here - ah.

It cowered in the corner, its entire body convulsing with terror. Snake snatched it up and cradled it with more gentleness than he would have thought possible from himself, and whispered, "It's okay. It'll be okay. I'll get you out of here."

The Pikmin closed its tiny eyes and went limp, but it was still breathing. Snake raced back to the hole and madly scrabbled through it, the sharp, jagged edges of the hole ripping into his thighs and spattering his blood over the ground. His head pounded; his blood boiled; everything seemed to be shouting his name all at once -

- he remembered saying, in his speech, _'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger'…_so, he wondered groggily, what happened when it killed you? Was it game over, right then and there? Snake pressed the Pikmin to his chest, lowered his head, and hit the ground, his vision slurring.

Then the world exploded.


	18. Chapter 18

The universe was silent. The mournfully howling wind, the rustling of leaves, the wild shrieks of startled Pokemon huddled in the shrubbery - hushed by some magnified power, a power that clenched its fists around Solid Snake's chest, silencing him as well. He was screaming, but he didn't hear a sound.

At some point, Snake found that he was standing up. He ran his fingers down his renewed body in awe. He was completely healed - no muscles were aching, there wasn't a trace of blood, his skin was flushed with health, and he seemed to be in the best condition of his entire life. He could have flown, and soared for hours.

Suspicion nagged at the back of his mind. _What just happened? I shouldn't be standing up. I should be dead. _

But Snake was too light on his feet to be worried for long. Allowing himself a laugh, he began to run, amazed at the ease and fluidity of each movement. With each footstep, energy flooded his system; happiness surged through his heart. It was refreshing.

Snake came to a stop, grinning, and surveyed his surroundings.

The grin slowly fell off of his face.

Towering before him was the shed, looking thoroughly battle worn. One side of it had been reduced to rubble. And laying face up, about fifteen feet away, was his own limp, kaput body.

Gingerly treading the ground as though it might burn him, Snake hesitantly approached his body. It was twisted in an awful position, spread-eagled awkwardly with the blue Pikmin curled under his left arm. Snake had a sudden burst of realization.

_I'm…dead?_

"SNAKE!" someone screamed.

He turned, startled, but Zelda wasn't talking to him - she was talking to the broken corpse, which, of course, was all that she could see. She began to sprint over. His heart plunged.

Link, Olimar, and Pikachu - all of them unscathed, but looking deeply shaken - came running alongside after her, skidding to an almost comical stop upon seeing Snake's body.

"Oh my God," Zelda whispered, pressing her hand to her mouth.

They stood there, staring. Snake watched as they noticed the conspicuous absence of his chest's rise and fall. They saw what Snake already knew - that he was dead.

"Pikachu, run for help," said Olimar, taking charge of the situation. His breath fogged up the glass of his helmet. "Get someone. Peach, if you can." When she had run off, quick as a rabbit, he knelt in the coarse grass and put his hand on Snake's head, presumably feeling for a pulse. He sadly shook his head.

Link moved to his old enemy's body and laid a hand on his chest. He closed his eyes, lifted his hand, balled it into a fist, and struck Snake, hard, right where his heart should be.

The real Snake stared with his mouth open, dumbfounded.

"Stop!" he cried, but nobody appeared to have heard him. "What are you doing?"

Link hit him again. And again. Each blow sent an icy shockwave reverberating through the air, filling his head with the rhythm of the beats until it destroyed all thought. Then, through his panic, Snake knew what he was doing. Link was trying to restart his heart through the precordial thump, by physical blows.

"Zelda, help me!" Link shouted.

Knowing what to do, she raced forward and bent down, her long hair skimming the rough grass. Urgently, she pressed her lips against Snake's own cold mouth, and at Link's timed instruction, blew warm air into his system. He had never so badly wanted to be in his own body, to feel her lips shaped around his, or share the delicious heat of her body.

Bodiless, terrified, and yet filled with longing, Snake watched all of this unfold at a distance. Link hitting him again and again, Zelda breathing into him, Olimar patching up his various wounds. The entire situation was so absurd that he would have laughed, but the consequences of his friends' failure was too terrible for him to consider it.

_What happens now? _he thought, looking at the puckered pink sky.

It was then that he became aware of…_them. _Shifting and shimmering all around him, straining at the edge of the Inbetween, were hundreds, or maybe thousands, of unrecognizable people. They gazed at him hungrily, restlessly, their hollow eyes shining with anticipation.

"Who are you?" said Snake, but nobody answered. It was as if he lived in his own separate reality. "What do you want? Get away from me!"

The people moved closer, pressing in on him, whispering.

"Don't touch me!"

Snake stumbled backwards, away from the groping hands of the deceased. Panic blurred his vision. Clutching at the steady ground, he jabbed his index finger in his body's direction.

"Look! See them?" he gasped, unable to stay upright. "They're saving me. You don't have to be here."

A ghastly, icy hand seized his wrist, while another grabbed his neck. They were all over him, grabbing, dragging him down. He fought bitterly, but it was a losing battle - he was a limp piece of driftwood in a strong current, he was a single candle flame in a strong wind - he was nothing to them.

The consistent, pounding rhythm of Link's fist was growing louder. And louder. With each strike, Snake noticed, the grip of the hands loosened ever so slightly. Eventually, he was able to lash free. Staggering, panting, he half-ran and half-stumbled over to his old body, parting the crowd of spirits easily. They behaved as if he were infected with a contagious disease.

Link was beginning to scream with exhaustion and effort as he hit Snake's chest, over and over, in the same hard, pounding tempo. His screams tore through the air, like a thousand rusted daggers piercing Snake's skin, and for an instant he just wanted the pain to end, for both of their sakes. But Link relentlessly kept up the procedure, even though he was shaking from a combination of lack of sleep, stress, and exertion. The rhythm seemed endless.

And so loud.

Much, much too loud.

Suddenly, he could feel sharp pains exploding upon his chest. He snapped open his eyes - his real eyes. He was back in his own body again.

Fire seared through his cracked throat. Snake coughed. Zelda immediately withdrew. She grabbed Link's arm, wrenching it away from Snake's chest, and cried, "Stop! Look! He's - he's -"

Link's restless blue eyes flickered to Snake's for a moment, holding them, and then he collapsed, tumbling into Zelda. She fell backwards.

"Link?" she squealed, hurriedly righting herself and tucking a fallen hair back into place. She tugged on his arm. "Wake up…"

But Link was unconscious, having finally succumbed to his exhaustion.

Zelda and Olimar both turned to Snake, who was thrashing, trying to get a hold of his madly racing heart, and together they pinned him down to the ground.

"Snake! Snake!" Olimar was shouting frantically. "Calm down, you'll hurt yourself!"

Finally, Snake began to properly breathe. Cold sweat coated his body. His heart, still burning, calmed into a steady, reliable rhythm. Holding his head against an onslaught of dizziness, he asked, "What - what happened?"

God, even talking was a huge effort.

Olimar wasn't listening. "Zelda, could you please get some water from the creek over there? For both of them."

Snake struggled against the hands that held him down. "What happened?" he pressed, more urgently than before.

"Shhh, just drink -"

Zelda's quiver, filled the brim with water, was shoved into his hands. The murky creek water slithered down his throat, soothing for an instant the fiery pain. As soon as it was empty, Snake tossed it aside.

"Don't screw with me, Olimar. What happened?"

Olimar sighed. "Same old Snake." He raised a hairless eyebrow. "Well…after you came out, you only got about twenty feet from the shed before Sonic regained control - and it blew up. I guess the shed wasn't as indestructible as he preached, because one of the walls was torn clean off…but we all ran over…

"…and you weren't breathing or anything, so I sent Pikachu to get someone from the Mansion. Link started trying to restart your heart, and then Zelda gave you breath, and I tried to clean some of your wounds…but…"

Olimar cast his gaze to the ground. With dread filling his heart, Snake held his breath and inspected his own body. His arm was definitely broken, and it felt like his ribs were broken, too. Multiples cuts on his face were oozing blood. He looked over at his legs - and the breath he was holding in whooshed out of him.

One of them was bent weirdly, in a grotesque way that made him want to vomit. His foot was facing the wrong way, jutting towards his right side, bathed in scarlet. His right leg was worse; white strips of bone were visible among his shredded, bloody skin.

"That could be a problem," Snake muttered, swaying. Then he blinked, trying to push it out of his mind. "Where's the Pikmin?"

Olimar looked confused. "What Pikmin?"

"The one I saved. The blue one." Snake pushed all the restraining arms off of him and sat bolt upright, wincing.

Nobody answered.

"Well?" demanded Snake.

"Now, please don't be angry -"

"What did you do with it?"

Zelda's eyes were full of sympathy. "It's dead."

He shoved back his anger, putting on a mask of calm. "Dead?"

"It was killed in the impact, just like you were," said Olimar quietly. "The only difference is, we were able to revive you, and we could do nothing for the Pikmin."

"You mean you didn't try." Snake could feel the mask beginning to slip. "You didn't even try to save the thing that I _died _for."

They were both staring at him. He had to keep himself under control. Snake swallowed several times, composed himself, and said, "Okay. Let me see it."

"Um," said Zelda.

"What now?"

"It's just," she said carefully, watching him like a hawk, "its body, Snake, is so fragile…it couldn't take the explosion." She bit her lip. "The Pikmin…it's in pieces. All over the place."

"So it doesn't even get a burial?" Snake asked hollowly.

"I'm sorry," said Zelda, avoiding his eyes.

He wanted to be anywhere else. Pain was searing mercilessly through his legs, making his situation even worse.

"It's alright," he said, with huge effort. "Pikachu will be back soon. But in the meantime, why don't you sleep?"

"I don't need to," said Zelda proudly. "I slept a lot in that horrid shack. Link, on the other hand…I think he stayed awake the whole time. No wonder he's so tired."

"How long were we in there?" asked Snake.

"I have a clock in my suit," said Olimar helpfully, "and according to my clock, we were in there for two and a half days."

"_What?" _gasped Zelda and Snake in unison.

"Yes."

"Without food or water? Shouldn't we be dead?" said Zelda, horrorstruck.

"Three days for dehydration, and two weeks for starvation," said Snake knowingly, laying back down and closing his eyes. "So you should probably get some more water right about now."

Zelda raced to the creek. As soon as she was gone, both of the remaining Brawlers turned to look at Link, who was still laying exactly where he'd fallen, covered in a sheen of sweat.

"You think he'll be okay?" said Snake.

Olimar nodded sagely. "Oh, he'll be fine. He was very brave. I could see how much strength it took to keep fighting. Fighting to keep you alive."

Snake was at a loss for words.

"You were brave, too," said Olimar solemnly. "I am proud beyond words. When I saw you running back in for that blue Pikmin, I was praying you'd turn around and come back out, but part of me also said, 'This is what he's meant to do', and was glad for your actions." Olimar gazed at the slowly brightening skyline. "Another soul will be at peace today, knowing of your selflessness."

"Everyone made sacrifices," Snake muttered, still gazing at Link. "It's my fault this happened in the first place."

"Don't blame yourself. How could you even say that? Isn't this Sonic's fault?"

Snake shook his head fervently. "He was being manipulated by someone. I could feel it. Someone is out there, pulling the strings. And if it's the last fucking thing I do, I'll find out who it is."

Olimar didn't react to the statement. Instead, he continued to look at the horizon, as if dreaming of better things to come.

{What the _hell _happened here?}

Snake tried to twist around, but yelped in pain and quickly desisted. Storming into view was what looked like the entire Brawl roster, lead by a determined-looking Pikachu. Master Hand floated near the front, twisting and contorting and flexing his fingers.

There were gasps and even a few screams as everyone fully absorbed the gruesome sight. Snake, laying maimed on the ground. Link, unconscious or dead for all they knew, laying limply next to him. A harried-looking Olimar. Bloodstains upon the ground. Zelda, frozen by the creek. And an utterly decimated shed.

{Where have I seen this before?} said Master Hand dryly, despite his untold rage. {A destroyed building, a fair maiden, Snake and Link, both injured…oh, yes…perhaps a little incident with fire at the Mansion? So this is what you've been doing while you're hiding away from the rest of us? Blowing up buildings and getting yourself hurt?}

"Please," said Snake weakly. "I can explain."

{What are you going to blame him for this time?} Master Hand sighed, indicating Link with his index finger.

Snake thought that was shamefully low for someone so powerful. His ears stinging and half-blind with pain, he shouted up, "Nothing! He's innocent. He saved my life."

Murmurs spread like wasps.

"I'll explain everything," said Snake, his vision doubling. "In private. But for now…please…take those four -" He indicated Link, Zelda, Olimar, and Pikachu - "and put them in the infirmary. They're starving to death as well…so please…hurry…"

{We'll heal you, too,} said Master Hand, drifting nearer. {Relax, and we'll get a stretcher.}

Snake tasted blood in his mouth. He looked at his friends, being escorted away and whispered, "Thank you. For everything."

And he sank into oblivion once more. But a kinder one, temporary, a release from the pain. A gift to him from his mind.


	19. Chapter 19

*** Hiatus = over. Sorry about the long delay. My laptop crashed for the longest time, (and when we finally got around to fixing it, BestBuy charged us more than it was worth.) :/ I really love this chapter, but just to warn you, it's super long. Please review! They're rays of sunshine in my day! **

When Snake awoke, he was confused, to say in the least.

Nauseating pain surged, hot and relentless, through his splintered leg; combating it was a strange, uncomfortable numbness that was nearly as unpleasant. A sickly smell of harsh chemicals wafted through the air. Painfully white walls burned into his vision.

He was in the hospital wing.

"Snake," someone said. He immediately identified the soft, breathy soprano voice as Peach's.

"Morning, beautiful," he said, his words garbled slightly by whatever medication she had put him on. The room slowly focused, revealing all of his friends gathered nearby – Ike, Pikachu, Olimar, Zelda, Link, and Samus, all wearing the same masks of concern and relief that pierced him to the core.

Peach smiled brightly. "Great day, isn't it?"

"Only because you're in it," said Snake jokingly. He glanced subtly around at the group. Strangely enough, they were all beaming expectantly. Suspicion gathered like wasps in the pit of his stomach. What were they all so happy about?

Peach's smile flickered just slightly. "Sorry, I meant, it's an _important _day."

"Is it?"

His cluelessness was apparently irritating.

"Snake! Do you not know what day it is?"

"Um," said Snake. "Is it a holiday?"

She stared at him, an eyebrow raised. Olimar's smirk became more prominent.

"No, silly," said Peach, gazing at him meaningfully. "It's your birthday!"

Her words struck him in the stomach like a fist. While a chorus of laughter echoed from the group gathered around his bed, he furrowed his brow in confusion, counting backwards through the days of the week.

"No, it's not," he said, shaking his head fervently. "My birthday is in three days, Peach."

Zelda cut in. "You've been _asleep _for three days, Snake. You were practically in a coma."

"I…was?"

And dimly, in the deep recesses of his mind, he remembered the hiatus of gripping darkness, vast and choking, acid searing through his veins and sealing his throat. It must have been his arduous recovery process.

"Oh," he said eventually, and glancing around at their shining faces, he couldn't bear to contradict them. "Okay then. Thanks." To be honest, he didn't even remember how old he was…

"You want your cake now, or later?" said Olimar.

"Later," said Snake. The thought of consuming anything now almost made him vomit.

Olimar shrugged. "Alright."

"He baked it himself," said Zelda, grinning. "He's a wonderful cook –"

"I'm not that great," said Olimar modestly.

"Yes, you are. Remember the spaghetti?"

"Oh, shoot," said Peach suddenly, standing up. "I have to go. I'm scheduled to fight in an hour…"

"Don't break a nail!" Snake called after her as she flounced away.

Without turning, Peach held out her hand and indicated a single digit with her middle finger. Snake broke out into laughter, punctuated by heavy coughing fits.

"So," he said conclusively, turning to face the rest of them, "What have you been up to?"

Samus smiled, her eyes crinkling in an adorable way that would have sent him to ecstasy in another lifetime. "Worrying about you."

"We were _all _worried," said Zelda, smiling as well, and Snake couldn't help but to compare the two. Her cerulean-blue eyes were as bright as jewels, flushing her face with a simple happiness that was contagious.

"That's what I meant," said Samus. There was a slightly competitive edge to her voice. Zelda looked her in a way that didn't seem friendly at all.

"Of course," she said coldly.

Samus and Zelda stared each other down until Link coughed very pointedly. They looked away, flustered.

"So, uh," said Snake hastily. "Has nothing really happened since I was asleep? Did Sonic turn up yet?"

Samus opened her mouth, but Zelda cut in quickly, "No, he hasn't. Master Hand is still gone, too, so we can't inform him of what happened in the shed."

"Or anyone else, apparently," said Samus.

Zelda cast her an arrogant glance. "Telling someone of high authority is our priority. Until then, unless you were with us, you shouldn't know. For your own safety, of course."

"That's very thoughtful," said Samus sweetly.

"Isn't it?"

"Um," Snake interjected helplessly. "Ike?"

Ike looked up quickly, startled. Then, his shocked expression melted into a pleading one. "Snake, I…"

"It's okay. I know."

"So we're cool?"

"Yeah."

"Good," said Ike, relieved. "I felt really terrible. I wanted to apologize, but you disappeared."

"I missed having someone to beat up on," said Snake, grinning stupidly.

"Same."

"You know," said Snake thoughtfully, "I guess it really couldn't hurt to tell them what happened, Zel."

Zelda nodded, keeping her face emotionless.

"We were held hostage," she said. "We were told that if we moved, a bomb would go off. However, Snake figured out that there was a hole in our little jail, and Olimar plucked a Pikmin, who distracted our captor just long enough for us to escape."

"Snake's smart," Samus said, casting an edgy look in Zelda's direction.

"Yeah, well, he almost got killed," said Zelda. "You wouldn't know this, seeing as you weren't there, but it was very scary –"

"Oh, and you were the one who saved him, right?" snapped Samus.

"Oh, no," said Zelda in a sweet, sugary voice. "Not by myself, anyway. But I did breathe into him –"

"How nice." But Samus didn't sound like she thought it was nice at all.

Zelda shrugged.

"Of course," said Samus slyly, and her eyes narrowed by an infinitesimal amount, "if it were me, I would want a professional to do it. A lot of people do it incorrectly, which could cause damage."

"Are you suggesting something?"

"Not at all," said Samus innocently. "I mean, I'm sure you were fine. But some people don't know the difference between saving a life and kissing someone."

"Lucky that I know the difference, then," said Zelda coolly.

"Regardless of the intentions," said Samus, her eyes narrowing even further so they were almost slits, "a poorly done job can be misinterpreted."

Zelda laughed. It was a silvery sound, like wind chimes. "Well, since I wasn't exactly a professional, it may have been slightly misinterpreted. And Snake, honey," she added, turning to him, "I just want you to know, that my little act back there was definitely, absolutely, _not _a kiss in _any _way whatsoever."

There was something about her tone that was almost sarcastic.

"Oh, if he interpreted it that way, he doesn't know what a kiss _is," _said Samus, glaring more openly at her. "Maybe somebody should show him."

"Maybe somebody should!" Zelda said, glaring right back.

"Somebody with experience," said Samus.

"Oh, absolutely."

"What I meant was, somebody who knows what they're doing. Most amateurs think they're good, but they are sadly, _sadly _mistaken."

"Or maybe," said Zelda forcibly, her cheeks flushing with suppressed anger, "the ones who consider themselves _above _amateurs aren'tthat much better at all!"

"Usually," Samus said haughtily, and anger showed on her face as well, "those who have actually had boyfriends know what they're doing. Considering, you know, that they've _actually kissed them, _and haven't been just fantasizing about it like the lonely women too highstrung to ever actually _get _a boyfriend!"

Zelda stood up.

"I hope you recover, Snake," she said, biting her lip. She looked like she was trying not to cry. "I'll see all of you later. I have to go."

"Me too," said Samus, who looked irked beyond belief. She gave Snake a smile that was way too sexual to be appropriate for the current audience. "Happy birthday."

And the two of them stormed out in opposite directions. There was a short silence.

"What," said Link, "just happened?"

Snake shrugged. Girls could be very strange.

"Shouldn't you go comfort your girlfriend?" he suggested.

Link blinked. "Oh. I forgot to tell you. I broke up with her."

"Why?" Snake demanded. They had seemed so happy together.

"It wasn't working out. It was a mutual thing, though, so don't feel bad. We decided to stay friends."

"That's good."

After a few more minutes of idle conversation, the rest of them decided to leave. Pikachu gave him a friendly nuzzle before she, too, departed. Snake was left to contemplate his own thoughts – and he couldn't help but wonder…where was Sonic now?

* * *

Peach had gone to bed early, claiming she was tired from her (victorious) battle, so Pit was left in charge of the hospital wing for the night. Snake was on the verge of drifting off. For some time, they were quiet.

Then, suddenly piercing the silence and causing Pit to nearly fly out of his skin, the door banged open. Standing silhouetted against the artificial hallway lighting was a single hulking figure.

Ganondorf.

Snake reared back in surprise, his blood going ice-cold. What was the bandit king doing here, of all places? Unless…he suddenly felt a thrill of panic. He was utterly defenseless, not to mention sluggish with medication. Pit was too skittish to do anything besides stare in terror. He felt a faint flush of frustration at his comrade's lack of helpfulness.

Ganondorf strode forward with the slow place of someone who knows that no matter what they do, they'll always get what they want, in the end. His cape flowed behind him, dragging on the slick linoleum. His expression was strangely smug.

"Go get help, Pit," Snake croaked.

Pit, flinchingly pale, made a dash for the door.

"Stop," said Ganondorf lazily. "Stay here, where I can see you."

Unbelievably, Pit obeyed. He inched nervously into Ganondorf's vision, shooting an apologetic look in Snake's direction. As if the action was involuntary, like he had no choice in the matter.

_Spineless worm, _thought Snake angrily.

"There's no need to look so frightened," said Ganondorf. For such a hostile and haunting lord, his voice was surprisingly glossy – like satin. And all the more for terrifying for that. "I only came to speak with you."

"Okay," said Snake cautiously, his mouth dry.

"I came to tell you that I am sorry for the rumors about me," said Ganondorf. "While I cannot help my nature, I have not committed some of the heinous crimes that I have been accused of."

"Like building an exploding shed?" said Snake, glowering.

Ganondorf's lip curled. "Sonic is a twisted fiend to tell these lies. Or he is disturbed in his mind; I couldn't tell you which. Whatever the case may be, I am innocent of those crimes that you hold me responsible for."

Snake scrutinized his face. He seemed sincere.

"Well," he said slowly, "it's true that I didn't see you anywhere during the fire…or during that _lovely _little party of Sonic's."

"Precisely," said Ganondorf smoothly. "And if I _was _in charge of that little operation, I would certainly not be so foolish as to let my prisoners escape right under my nose."

"The Pikmin disconnected the wires to his audio and video. While Sonic tried to figure out why he lost all of his information, we broke free." Snake watched closely for Ganondorf's reaction.

"Smart," he purred.

"Well, it worked."

"What do you believe Sonic's intentions were?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Snake bitterly. "He tried to blow us up! He wants us dead…but I have a theory."

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed slightly. "Proceed."

"I think he was being mind-manipulated," said Snake. "Several people I know have the power to do this. Lucario, Ness, Lucas…and you. Lucario has always seemed nice, and the boys wouldn't be capable of something so…dark, so we were forced to conclude it was…"

"Me," said Ganondorf. Still calm.

"Well, yes."

"A conclusion I can understand," he said silkily. "But I can also tell when someone is a victim of mind-manipulation. It's more obvious than you think – Sonic was not a victim. His mind was entirely his own."

"How does the victim know -?"

"I would not know, but I have guesses. Long lapses in your memory. Confusion. Perhaps pain. Or nothing at all – again, I would not know. I have never been controlled in that way."

"Have I ever –" Snake suddenly felt silly and clamped his mouth shut.

" – been controlled?" Ganondorf finished for him.

"Yeah," said Snake, meeting his eyes, looking for any sign of a lie.

"No," said Ganondorf coolly. "I have never attempted to breach your mind, Solid Snake. I may be considered a villain, and for good reason, but I have a healthy amount of respect for the strong fighters here."

Snake clenched and unclenched his hand. Maybe what Ganon said was true. But the scene of him hitting Zelda across the face came back to him, and dislike burned in his veins. He, Solid Snake, had played this game too many times to simply trust an enemy without good reason.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" asked Snake bluntly.

Ganondorf straightened. "There has been no 'change of heart'. I merely wanted to clear my name of these filthy rumors."

"Since when do you care?" said Snake, working to keep his voice from sounding hostile.

"Snake, I ask only that you do not view me as a cruel enemy. You, unlike the others, have not yet been exposed to the gossip surrounding my background, none of which is true. I am no longer treated as a king – instead, as a corrupted tyrant."

"What _is _your background?" asked Snake.

"A story too long to tell now," said Ganondorf. "In short, I was greatly wronged, and everything was blown far out of proportion and twisted by my enemies."

Snake was silent for a long time, mulling this over.

"As much as I would love to blame everything on you," he said carefully, "I can see that there's not really enough evidence. There's a lot of prejudice about you that blinds everyone."

"You're very wise."

"And you weren't anywhere near the crime scenes, anyway."

"Precisely," said Ganondorf again. "At the time of the fire, I wasn't even at your party. I was training."

"That's a lie," said Pit unexpectedly.

They both turned to look at him. It was the first time he'd spoken up during the entire conversation – now he looked like he wanted to take it back.

"What do you mean, Pit?" asked Snake.

Pit was pale, but he looked at Snake with a strange intensity. "Did you forget? He threatened us to lie and say that Link started the fire. He was there the whole time."

"Oh, yeah!" said Snake, glaring at Ganondorf.

"You poor, confused child," Ganondorf hissed to Pit. "I never threatened you."

"Yes, you did," said Pit in disgust. "I'm done being afraid of you. I'll bet anything that you _did _possess Sonic, and you lied about it the entire time. You were just trying to kill Link and Zelda, and you didn't care who else died, as well!"

"_Shut up!"_

Ganondorf's hand flew for Pit's throat, but the angel darted away.

"Ganondorf!" said Snake, still rather numb with shock. "Stop – STOP!"

"I do not take orders from you, Solid Snake," Ganondorf spat. His voice turned from satin to splintered glass in less than a second. "Go ahead, side with the fucking mutant! Alright, I'll even admit it – I messed with Sonic's mind. It was easy to get you trapped in that miserable hovel. But I let his thoughts slip for one second, and everyone escapes before I can regain control!"

"Where is Sonic?" Snake demanded harshly. Terrible fear rose in his heart.

"Even as we speak, he is headed to the river in the forest," said Ganondorf triumphantly. "I am making him drown himself."

"No," Snake said hollowly. "No…he…he can't!"

"He will be dead soon," said Ganondorf calmly. His eyes were eerily distant, seeing through another mind. "There is nothing you can do."

"GO, PIT!" Snake shouted.

Pit needed no second telling; in a whirlwind of feathers, he was gone. The door slammed shut behind him.

"Sonic won't be reached in time."

Snake was jolted out of his brief reverie by Ganondorf's voice.

"The hell he won't," said Snake. "Pit can fly."

"It's not that easy. He is deep in the forest," said Ganondorf, and his voice sent chills up and down Snake's spine.

"How many?" he shouted.

Confusion flitted across Ganondorf's face, quenching for a moment the dark fire that brewed there.

"How many more people will die in your idiotic quest for vengeance?" Snake clarified. He was blurring the line, breaking the rules, and he knew it – any moment his hated enemy could snap, could throttle him, could drive his sword through Snake's unprotected chest. At the moment, however, he appeared to be held in place by his own anger.

"It's not in your place to question me!" the bandit king snarled, taking a step forward.

"I'll do what I want," said Snake defiantly.

Ganondorf's eyes scorched him, fire dancing within them more maddeningly than before. He took another sweeping step, his muscles bulging and straining at the fabric of his clothing, his jaw clenched tightly, hands balled into fists.

Snake was sweating, but he continued to press. "No answer? That's what you're doing, isn't it? You controlled Sonic, you threatened children, you almost killed everyone I know and love. You tried to get to Link, but for all of that, he's still alive. Everything you did has been for nothing – because of me!"

"You were wrong to interfere!" Ganondorf spat.

"It doesn't change the fact that I did," said Snake levelly. "You made people blame Link for the fire so that Master Hand would turn him into a trophy, but I revealed the truth. You trapped him and a bunch of other people you hated in that damned shed, but we got out. Just accept it, Ganondorf – you've lost. And the next time you target anyone else, you'll have me to answer to – and the rest of my friends."

He felt a little glow of pride flutter in his heart. _My friends. _Well, it was true, wasn't it?

Then he felt fear grip him. He had crossed the invisible line – not only that, but he had danced on the other side.

And he was proven right. In the next instant, Ganondorf lunged forward, his powerful hand pressing on Snake's exposed throat, and a terrible pressure descended on it – pushing, pushing, relentlessly, not letting up – he fought, but his arms were pinned to his sides. He tried to shout, but the hand clamped around his neck had taken away his ability to speak. Eyes watering, hot pain wracking his body so severely that he could barely think, he knew that he would not live through this. It was inevitable. What an awful way to die.

A numb, cold, crawling feeling undulated over his skin – the end was near –

"SNAKE!"

The panicked shout had come from Pit, who had returned empty-handed – and immediately, he was tugging on Ganondorf's arms, pulling uselessly. Realizing that it was not working, he clamped his own hands around Ganondorf's neck and pulled there instead. It was a bizarre chain of strangling attempts.

Sputtering a little, Ganondorf released Snake, who went into a spastic attack of violent coughs, reeling against his bed, crushed by Ganondorf's splayed body –

"Get off of him!" Pit cried, hooking his arms around Ganondorf's middle and heaving him off. The pressure disappeared – Snake could breathe again.

BANG.

Ganondorf's fist slammed into Pit's chest, knocking him against the opposite wall, where he slid to the ground, unconscious from the force of the blow. Staggering a little, the dark lord spun around to face Snake – to finish the job. Snake closed his eyes. He was as weak as a newborn puppy – he could not move another muscle, not even to defend himself. Blood trickled down his temple.

A shape hurtled out of nowhere, colliding with the side of Ganondorf's head, small and versatile and yellow –

- and it was Pikachu, who peppered him with stunning electric shocks, freezing him in place, while Link and Ike rushed into the fray and wrestled his arms behind his back –

Bewildered, Snake glanced towards the doorway. All of his friends were rushing in to help, screaming his name, screaming curses and war cries and prayers to the muddled heavens…Zelda wrenched Ganondorf's sword from its scabbard and held it up to his chest, seeming to take relish in the motion, while Samus jammed her gun in his temple, and Olimar surrounded him with angry Pikmin. Realizing that he was outnumbered and overpowered, Ganondorf stopped struggling blindly and was motionless, seething.

"I will kill you yet!" he vowed, hissing through clenched teeth. "Do you think yourselves threats to me? You are nothing!"

And yet he did not move. He would have lost his head – he had three swords at his chest, a gun at his head, a dangerous electric Pokémon clinging to his shoulder, and riled Pikmin surrounding him in a small circle.

"Turn yourself in," said Snake quietly. "And forget this ever happened."

"I would sooner die," Ganondorf said murderously.

"I like the sound of that," said Link.

Ganondorf snarled.

"Get on your knees," said Snake harshly. "Now!"

For a moment, a teetering, hopeful moment, it looked like he was going to obey. Like he was going to come quietly and make it easy for them. But then, with a powerful thrust of his arms, he knocked everyone off of him. Snake heard the impact, and the whoosh of breath being smashed out of their lungs as they were sent hurtling through the air.

Ganondorf stood alone.

Unhindered. Unshackled. Free. He snatched up Samus's gun, which had flown out of her hand, and pointed it directly at Snake's forehead.

"I'm done dealing with you," he said.

Snake saw it then – Pit had woken up. He slowly stood up behind Ganondorf as he was talking, shaking with his own paramount rage. He raised his large, reflective, heavy shield.

Snake saw it, but Ganondorf didn't.

"Goodbye, Snake," the bandit king said, raising the gun a fraction higher.

Pit smashed the shield, as hard as he could, into the side of Ganondorf's head. Time seemed to freeze. Then Ganondorf's eyes rolled up in his head, the gun dropped the ground, and he crumpled, limp and lifeless-looking, onto the linoleum floor.

There was only silence. A shocked, ringing silence that drummed through Snake's head like a metronome.

"You might not think me brave," said Pit, still shaking, his eyes dark. "But he – he affected me worse than anyone. I could – I could always hear him in my head. I got cold and numb when he was around – he liked playing with me more than anyone – and I – I couldn't take it anymore –"

He looked wildly around, as if afraid of insults, but instead, Zelda slowly came over and put her arms around his shoulders, smiling sadly.

"You did it," she whispered. Then she laughed, and said more loudly, "We ALL did it!"

The silence broke – everyone began to cheer, laugh, roar, shout with joy – it was over – it was truly over –

"Is he dead?" said Ike, nudging Ganondorf's body with his foot.

Link leaned against his shoulder. "No. He's unconscious. But we can drag him to Master Hand and see what he thinks of this."

"I thought Master Hand was gone," said Snake, massaging his throat.

Link looked at him. "He just came back. That's what we came here to tell you – and then we saw him – we saw him strangling you."

Snake slowly, shakily, sat up in his hospital bed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" He grimaced. "It hurts to breathe, though."

"Let me help you," said Zelda, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Then, before he knew what was happening, she had flung herself at him and kissed him full on the mouth. His hand curled into the back material of her dress, her beautiful fragrance of peonies and paper interlacing with his own body – he didn't even care that anyone else was watching –

Olimar loudly cleared his throat.

"Get a room," said Ike loudly, and everyone burst out laughing. Zelda broke away from him, blushing, but her eyes were smiling.

"Better?" she asked.

Snake could do nothing but stammer.

Red with rage, Samus made to storm out of the room, but Zelda caught her arm. She smiled her sweetest, most innocent smile and said smugly, _"That, _sweetheart, was a kiss."

* * *

It was some time later that Link approached him alone. The hospital wing had been cleared up, now Ganondorf-free, and all the blood and debris had been scrubbed away. His friends had left him to rest peacefully.

"Happy birthday," said Link, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Hey, thanks."

"Sorry I didn't get you anything."

"I almost got strangled. Being alive is gift enough."

"Yeah," said Link.

There was a very awkward silence.

"Look," said Snake. "I've always been meaning to ask you this. When we first met, before I'd even said two words to you, I could tell that you hated me. I'll admit that I was a bastard later on, though."

"Yeah, you were," said Link, and they both laughed. He ran a hand through his hair. "It's hard to explain."

"I've got time." Snake glanced at his imaginary watch.

"When you talked me, I got this weird feeling. Like you owned me already, and you didn't know who I was yet," said Link quietly. "But that was then. This is now. I don't hate you anymore."

"Think we could be friends?"

"I don't know."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"Well," said Snake after a while, "we've been through a hell of a lot together, that's for sure."

Link smiled at him. "Master Hand said it himself – we're an unlucky pair. Maybe…maybe we could be friends. If you don't irritate me half to death."

Far from being offended, Snake laughed out loud. "Irritating? Me? Nah."

"Whatever you say, Snake," said Link. "Oh, and by the way, the search party found Sonic."

"Where was he?"

"In the forest. He'll be keeping you company here for a little while. He feels terrible, but it's not like it's his fault…so go easy on him, okay?"

Snake considered. "Fine."

"Samus is pissed at you."

"I know."

"She thinks you've crossed over to the dark side. Rather, to Zelda."

"Can't argue with that."

"Well," said Link, glancing at the setting sun out of the oval windows, "I'd better get going. Midnight brawls are tonight, remember? I have to get some rest."

"Hey, good luck, Link," said Snake, clapping him on the back. "With your skill, you'll beat them all."

"Thanks, but I could say the same about you."

Link grinned at him, his blue eyes friendlier than Snake had ever seen them – at least, directed toward him. He hitched his shield over his back and started to leave.

Snake was filled with a bittersweet feeling that he had never known. The good things washed over him – Zelda's startling kiss, the defeat of Ganondorf, Sonic's revival, Link and Ike's newly acquired friendships, and his own redemption. Then, just like the story of the Pandora's box, there were the bad things too – the social mess they left behind, Samus's bitterness towards him, and his shattered leg. But maybe, perhaps, he could survive it noticeably unscathed.

"Hey, wait," he said to Link.

Link stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

Snake felt a grin spread over his face. "How about some of that cake now?"

* * *

**THE END.**

**Yes, this was the last chapter. I hope everyone had as much fun reading it as I did writing it! I may upload an Author's Notes chapter, giving inside information, my inspiration, answer any questions, etc. Or maybe not. It depends. Thank you so much for sticking with Snake until the end! Love you guys!**


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